Three Again
by ShullieQ
Summary: Severel the leaf rookies, Neji, Lee and Gaara get turned into three year olds by one of Orochimaru's ninjas. Kankurou, Temari and Shikamaru have to take care of them. Or save the known world from them. Rated for language. !Dropped Piece, not updating!
1. The Change

**Three Again**

Chapter 1: The Change

* * *

Shikamaru, the jônins leaders, Temari and Kankurou stared at the sight in front of them. The sight stared back at them.

"What is that again?" Gai asked, pointing.

Tsunade sighed in frustration. How many times would she have to explain this? "These are your students/teammates/younger brother."

Everyone stared.

Kankurou fainted.

* * *

Kankurou woke up and saw Temari standing over him. "Oh, Temari, I had the strangest dream! Tsunade came over and Gaara had been turned into a three-year-old."

"Um, Kankurou?"

"Yeah, Temari?"

Temari held up a small thing with red hair and dark rimmed bright green eyes. "It wasn't a dream." Gaara, three-years-old, laughed at Kankurou as his eyes grew as big as saucers.

"OH MY GOD!!!"

"That's not all," Temari said, pointing to the opposite wall. Three year old Naruto and Sasuke were arguing in their three year old style.

"OH MY %&#$%$&# GOD!!!!"

"Uh, Kankurou?" Temari pointed to another side of the room where Sakura, Neji, Lee, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, and Chouji sat, crying, whining, talking, fighting, or in Kiba's case, trying to destroy the Sand-nin's living room like a dog. The only thing keeping him from doing so was Hinata, who had somehow found a spoon and was whacking him with it whenever he got close to destroying something. All of them looked around three. And loud. And little. And baby-ish.

"SWEET MOTHER OF THE KAZEKAGE!!! SOMEONE WAKE ME UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE!!!!"

Temari thwacked Kankurou. "Snap out of it!! I'm just as freaked out as you!"

Kankurou took a deep breath and let it out slowly, sitting up. Temari put Gaara on his lap and went to stop Naruto and Sasuke from fighting. Gaara and Kankurou stared at each other for a while. Then Gaara broke into a grin that threatened to tear his face in half. Kankurou blinked in shock. He'd never seen Gaara smile before, it made a big difference.

A groan sounded from the floor near the chair. Kankurou glanced over and saw Shikamaru sitting they're leaning against the chair looking dazed. "This is so troublesome." He muttered.

Kankurou sat up suddenly, causing Gaara to roll of him onto the sofa. "Where's Tsunade-sama?" he asked.

"She went home," Temari said. "So did the other jônins."

"You mean they left us to take care of these brats alone?" Kankurou asked angrily.

"No we didn't," Kakashi said frowning, as he walked into the house followed by the other jounin teachers. "We went with Hokage-sama to learn exactly what happened."

Silence....

"Can **we** know what happened?" Temari asked glaring at them.

"They were all training outside of the village and a sound nin from Orochimaru attacked them and preformed a jutsu that reversed the aging process."

"You mean their just going to get younger and younger till they disappear?!" Temari shrieked.

"No!" Kurenai sighed. "The Jutsu just made them younger, the de-aging process seemed to have stopped when they reached three. Perhaps the sound nin didn't have enough chakra to make them any younger."

"Did Orochimaru want them to become so young they'd disappear?" Shikamaru asked.

"Hokage-sama doesn't think so, and I agree," Kakashi replied. "If that was his wish, he would have sent a stronger Shinobi. Hokage-sama thinks that he is working on a new jutsu that makes someone younger. Perhaps to use it on himself, making himself younger, but still containing his old powers. However, the jutsu hasn't done what he wished. It can't be seen if they have retained their old powers, but their minds are that of three year olds. They think like three year olds, act like three year olds. I don't think they have any memories after their previous three-year-old lives. Although they seem to remember each other and everyone else."

The three younger Shinobi looked at the little kids that were taking no notice to them. Gaara had gotten off the sofa and was playing with Naruto (Temari was holding Sasuke so he and Naruto wouldn't fight). Temari handed Sasuke to Kakashi.

"I don't want to take care of them!" Temari told him.

Kakashi sighed. "We're only going to ask you to take care of them sometimes, but some of them have to stay here."

"Like who?" Kankurou asked.

"Well, Gaara obviously. Naruto can't live in his apartment alone." Asuma said. "Probably Sasuke as well, since he also doesn't have a family."

"We can deal with Naruto and Gaara," Temari assured them. "Sasuke might be a problem. He seems to like to fight with Naruto and Gaara." Sasuke was trying to break out of Kakashi's arms to go over to Naruto and Gaara.

"But the others have to stay here for a while until their families can be informed of the situation." Gai said. "I can take Lee with me, and Neji too, perhaps."

Temari, Kankurou and Shikamaru had images of Gai brainwashing Neji so that he begins to act and dress like Gai and Lee. Bad mental picture.

"No, I think he can stay here," Kankurou said. Lee was enough; they didn't need Neji acting like Gai too.

"We're going to go inform their families. Their parents should be here later tonight to get them." Kurenai said as the jônins left.

Temari, Shikamaru and Kankurou all sighed in unison. "How troublesome."

Temari began processing in her female mind the responsibilities they would now have. "We need to get stuff for them," she said pointing with her thumb at the kids. "Shikamaru and I will go get baby stuff. Kankurou will you keep them alive till we get back?" Kankurou glared at her. (death-glare scale: 7) "Ok then! Lets go Shikamaru."

And they were gone.

They left him.

Alone.

With eight three-year-olds and one four-year-old (Neji and Lee are a year older then everyone else in the anime so basically everyone de-aged about nine years).

How dare she? Did she want him to die?

Tug-tug. Kankurou looked down and saw Naruto. "We wanna draw!" the blond nin told him. Kankurou sighed and got up. He found lots of paper and some how found a box of crayons. He sat Gaara and Naruto down at the table where they began to draw. Neji, Kiba, and Hinata sat down across from them to watch and draw also. Sasuke was sitting on the overstuffed chair with a book. On closer inspection Kankurou saw that it was his book **_How to Deal with Insane Siblings_**. Sakura was looking at a book too, Temari's flower picture book. Chouji was trying to get into the fridge and Shino was missing.

"CRAP!! I lost one!!" Kankurou yelled looking frantically around for the bug using nin.

"Shino's in the basement," Hinata said from the table. "He's lookin' for bugs."

Kankurou sighed. Good. He knew where everyone was. The doorbell rang and he went to go answer it. A jounin stood there and asked if he was informed about the parents coming later. Kankurou told him what Kakashi had said and the jounin nodded then left. He stood out side of the door for a while going over in his head what had happened to the leaf nins and his brother. Kakashi's words suddenly came back to him.

**Flashback**

"They don't seem to remember anything that happened since their previous three year old lives."

**End of Flashback**

'That means that Gaara's not insane yet.' Kankurou thought to himself. 'Nothing about Yashamaru betraying him has happened to him.' Kankurou thought about this. Gaara wasn't insane yet, but, if he remembered correctly, he wasn't exactly stable from never sleeping. Another thought popped up in his mind. 'He doesn't remember me not being a brother.'

Kankurou stopped his thoughts short and came back to that one. Growing up, Gaara had only seen people attend to him, or kids running from him or chasing him away. Maybe he could change that now. Kankurou smiled. Yeah, he could do that.

Kankurou came back in the house and was greeted by a teary-eyed Gaara and hysterical Naruto. Gaara clamped onto Kankurou's leg and buried his face in his pants leg. Naruto stopped in front of him.

"What the hell is wrong?" Kankurou asked, still not use to Gaara's three-year-old attitude.

"W-we were coloring on the table," Gaara sobbed.

"We weren't bothering anyone, and Neji came in," Naruto said, in a three-year-old hysterical fit.

"He ate my crayons!!" Gaara cried.

"He turned green!"

"HE ATE MY CRAYONS!!"

"We could only save the orange and red!" Naruto held them up to show him.

"MY CRAYONS!!!!"

Kankurou sighed. He hated babysitting. "Ok, let's go see," Naruto led him down the hallway to the kitchen while Gaara still clung to his older brother's leg trying not to cry (you know how kids wrap their arms and legs around older people's legs and have them walking around while their sitting on the people's foot? That's how Gaara is on Kankurou right now). Naruto explained that they left Hinata to guard their pictures. Kankurou was confused. Why would they need to guard their pictures and why Hinata? When they walked into the kitchen Kankurou stopped short. Neji was indeed green and lying on the table, groaning. Kiba was trying to snatch the pictures Naruto and Gaara had drawn most likely to destroy them as seemed to be his three-year-old hobby, but jerked back every time he came close, as Hinata was swatting him with a spoon.

"Alright, Neji, no eating crayons that aren't yours understand?" Kankurou asked the sick Hyuuga. Neji nodded. "Go to the bathroom. I don't want to clean up after you if you throw up." Naruto followed Neji, his three-year-old logic telling him that if Neji swallowed them that he could spit them back out good as new. "Kiba, leave their pictures alone." Kiba sat back pouting. "Hinata put that spoon away!" Hinata got down and went to the drawer to put the spoon away. She walked past Kiba then came back and whacked him one more time, then put the spoon away.

"Common Kiba," Hinata said pulling on Kiba's shirt, "lets go find Shino." She smiled at him and he stopped pouting and apparently forgot that she hit him. He followed her down stairs to the basement where Shino was last seen looking for bugs.

Kankurou picked Gaara up off his leg and set him down while he sat down on a chair. Where the heck was Shikamaru? And Temari? They were supposed to be helping him. Something tugged on his sleeve. He looked down and saw Gaara looking very nervous.

"What do you want now?" Kankurou asked, a little gruffer then he intended. Gaara shrank back, losing whatever confidence he had. Kankurou noticed something in the little sand nin's hand. "What is it?" he asked softer this time.

Gaara looked up at him and held out one of his pictures. Kankurou took in and looked at it. It was a crayon drawing of himself and Gaara. It was pretty good for a three-year-old's, at least he could tell it was them, but he noticed that it also wasn't finished. The marks on his face weren't finished colored in.

"Neji ate my purple," Gaara explained in a mumble.

"That's ok," Kankurou told him. "I still like it."

Yeah. Three year old Gaara....he liked. A lot.

* * *

Kankurou opened the door for Inuzuka Tsune, apparently Kiba's older sister. She smiled at him and greeted him curtly.

"Is it true? Kiba-aka-chan (baby brother Kiba) is three years old again?" she asked the sand nin.

Kankurou nodded, looking harassed. He led her into the kitchen where Gaara and Naruto were trying to make sand castles. Every time they were close to finishing it, Kiba barreled through like a hurricane and destroyed it (beginnings of his attacks). Hinata wasn't around with her deadly spoon so the two boys were on their own. As Tsume and Kankurou walked in, Kiba had just finished destroying another castle and Naruto had jumped up and was yelling at him.

Tsume laughed. "He's the same when he was a baby!"

"You mean he was like this when he was little before?" Kankurou asked shocked. That poor family.

"Kiba-chan!!" Tsume knelt down like she was greeting a puppy. "Kiba-chan come to nee-san!"

Kiba turned and saw her. He smiled wide and pushed past Naruto and ran to her. "Nee-san!"

Tsume picked him up. "Thanks for watching him till I could come."

"No problem," Kankurou said trying not to sound sarcastic or happy to be rid to the menace.

One down.

* * *

One by one the three-year-old leaf nins left. Sakura had just left, leaving Neji (now feeling much better), Hinata (Kankurou hid all the spoons and duck taped the utensil drawer shut), Naruto (disappointed that his theory on the crayons had been wrong), Sasuke (still immersed in his book), and of course Gaara. Kankurou sank onto the sofa with a sigh. He realized with a frown that it had been over an hour and Temari and Shikamaru still hadn't come back.

'Stupid bastards!' Kankurou growled in his head. 'Saying they were going shopping just so they wouldn't have to help—' His thoughts were interrupted when Hinata plopped a book down in his lap, climbed up onto the sofa to sit next to him then looked at the book expectantly. "What?" he asked. Neji, Gaara and Naruto also climbed up next to him and sat down waiting. Kankurou groaned when he realized what they wanted. "No," he told them. "Maybe later." All four looked up at him, their eyes teary and their lower lips trembling. Kankurou glared across the room at Sasuke as if it was all his fault. 'I hate kids.'

"Fine, fine," Kankurou opened the book and began reading out loud. "'I had a new horn and paper hat.....'"(I loved this book when I was little. **_In The Forest_** by Marie Hall Ets)

* * *

As he was reading the last page, the doorbell rang again and Hinata's father, Hyuuga Hiashi stepped in.

"Good evening," he said in greeting. He picked up Hinata as Kankurou stood to greet him as well. "Thank you for watching her."

"No problem," Kankurou replied for the fifth time today.

"I have a favor to ask," Hiashi began. He paused and looked down at Neji who was looking at the pictures in the book again with Naruto and Gaara. "The laws of the main and branch families state that a branch family member cannot live with the main family members. Right now I do not approve of this law, but I will talk to the elders of Hyuuga and asked them to make an exception. Since Neji's father, my brother is dead, I will not permit anyone from the branch family to take care of him. I would like the honor to do it my self, but I must speak with the elders first." Kankurou listened trying to stay patience as he waited for the Hyuuga head to get to his point. "Please allow Neji to stay with you until then." Hiashi bowed to the sand nin.

"Sure, that's fine." Kankurou replied. After the whole crayon incident he found that Neji wasn't that hard to take care of.

"Thank you, Kankurou-san," Hiashi bowed again and carried his oldest-now-youngest daughter out.

Kankurou shut the door behind him and turned to the four remaining kids all looking at him expectantly. "Guess what!"

"What?" they asked.

"Neji gets to spend the night!" Kankurou said trying to sound excited for them.

"Yeah!" Naruto and Gaara cried. Naruto didn't seem to have thought about himself, since he and Gaara had decided earlier that he was staying no matter what anyone said. Sasuke also seemed to figure out that he was staying also.

A low rumbling filled the room. Kankurou stared down at them. "I'm hungry!" all four cried in unison.

Curse you Temari, Child of the Devil!!

* * *

Ok . (kakashi face for kenshinsgurl516) sorry to people who read all my fics. I'm have a writers block for Past to Future. This wouldn't get out of my head so I wrote it instead.

Chapter 2: Fun at the play ground


	2. Fun at the Playground

**Three Again**  
  
Chapter 2: Fun At the Play Ground  
  
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! SNG and I have our OWN fanfic office!!!!! Mom gave us the old computer and we set it up....no I set it up in the corner and we gots all this cool stuff and stuff. Everything's still on so we can work on our pictures and stuff and listen to my music videos (booya!!). But I is rambling and no one is probably reading this anyway so..on to chapter 2...  
  
(steps into screen again doing the happy dance): own computer! own computer!  
  
Shukaku: (KO's H-R and drags her away) idiot....

* * *

When Temari finally came home later that night she found Sasuke asleep on the chair, Neji and Naruto sleeping in front of the tv, which was still on. Kankurou was asleep on the sofa. Gaara was laying on Kankurou's stomach still watching tv. He looked up when Temari stepped in.  
  
"Hi, Gaara!" she said softly crouching down next to her brothers.  
  
"Where were you?" he asked laying his head back down on his older brother.  
  
"Good question, Gaara, I was wondering that myself," Kankurou said, opening his eyes.  
  
"Oh! Kankurou!" Temari cried, nervously. "Shikamaru and I went shopping, but we couldn't find anything....and, um, so we went to the neighboring villages in Konoha. But we still couldn't find anything. So we went to the.....library to look for a...way to change them back." She gave him a small grin. (what a lier)  
  
"You blew off helping me!!" he cried quietly so he wouldn't wake the others up.  
  
"Don't yell at me!" she shrieked also quietly.  
  
"I have every right to yell, Temari and you know it!" Kankurou said, very angry. He got up pushing Gaara off him. "You can start making it up by staying up with Gaara." he said going upstairs to bed.  
  
Temari sat down next to Gaara as her baby brother brushed sand of him that had come up to catch his fall. She sighed heavily. "I blew it didn't I?" she asked him. Gaara looked up at her and nodded vigorously. "What exactly did I miss?"  
  
Gaara picked up his and Naruto's pictures that were laying on the sofa next to him. he showed them to her. "Neji ate my crayons." He told her sadly.  
  
"I'll get you some tomorrow," Temari assured him, smiling.  
  
"Kankurou's going to get them today," Gaara told her. "Cause you were gone."  
  
Stab. "Oh. Sorry."  
  
Gaara shrugged and continued watching tv.

* * *

Kankurou came down stairs the next morning and found Temari asleep on the couch. He glared at her for falling asleep, but he wasn't really mad at her for doing so. He looked around the living room and found it empty of all life forms save for Temari. 'Oh, God, where are they?' he asked himself. A loud clatter came from the kitchen and Kankurou went to inspect.  
  
He grinned when he walked in. Neji and Sasuke were acting as supports for Gaara and Naruto who were standing on their shoulders, going through the high cabinets looking for breakfast. The clatter had been from a bowl they dropped. Luckily it was plastic and didn't break.  
  
"Need some help?" he asked them. They turned (Neji almost dropping Gaara) and nodded. Kankurou got bowls and the cereal down from the cabinet and set them on the table.  
  
Temari walked in as they were sitting down. "Morning." She mumbled, as she got the milk out and sat down with them. They ate in silence until Temari grew too uncomfortable.  
  
"Kankurou, I'm real sorry about not coming home to help you," she said to her brother sitting across from her.  
  
"It's ok," he mumbled with his mouth full of cereal.  
  
"I'm going to make it up to you," she promised.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Temari sighed. He was still mad and he didn't seem to believe her. "Today,"  
she said.  
  
"What?" Kankurou and Gaara stared at her.  
  
"I'm going to take you two out for lunch and ice cream," she told them smiling.  
  
"Who's paying?" Kankurou asked, suspiciously.  
  
"Me," Temari assured him.  
  
Kankurou and Gaara looked at each other. Kankurou gave him a questioning look and Gaara smiled at him. The brother's turned to their sister and smiled.  
  
"Ok," Kankurou told her.  
  
"Wha'about us?" Neji cried, throwing his hands in the air in distress.  
  
"This is kinda a family moment," Temari told him.  
  
"Your uncle is coming to get you," Kankurou added. "Sasuke and Naruto can stay at a friend's."  
  
"We don't like you Sasuke," Gaara told the black haired ninja.  
  
Sasuke glared at the youngest sand nin and dove across the table in attempts to destroy the little boy. Gaara yelled and jumped off the chair, seeming to forget the sand would protect him. Gaara ran through the kitchen into the dining room, then the living room, then turned back into the kitchen with Sasuke hot on his heels. Naruto jumped off his chair and chased them as well,  
yelling at Sasuke to leave Gaara alone. Neji, not wanting to be left out, also got up and chased Naruto, chasing Sasuke, chasing Gaara, yelling insane battle cries.  
  
Temari and Kankurou sat and watched the whole thing, cursing themselves for not owning a video camera. Every few minutes the four would enter the kitchen and leave through the other door and repeat the process over and over and over.  
  
Knock-knock.  
  
"I GOT IT!!!" Gaara yelled as he ran through the kitchen one more time, this time shutting the door on his way out.  
  
Sasuke, not being able to stop slammed into the door and fell to the floor. Naruto (this all happens in like 5 seconds) confused at Sasuke's sudden disappearance tripped over the Uchiha and fell on top of him. Neji saw them and tried to stop, but Temari had just cleaned the floor the day before so it was squeaky clean....and slippery. Crash. Neji fell on top of the two younger leaf nins.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Well, that was the best entertainment that's ever happened in this house," Kankurou said in monotone.  
  
"Yep," Temari said.  
  
**At the Front Door...**  
  
Gaara tried to open the door, which took him a while since he couldn't reach the handle. And when he did reach the handle he found that his three year old hands weren't big enough to turn it easily, which presented another problem. (a/n: I watched my friend's baby brother do this once, it was really funny. Love you Sparky!!!)  
  
Knock-knock.  
  
"I'm coming as fast as I can!" he yelled at the door. Few more tries. Nothing. Gaara opened the mailbox slit. Peeking out he saw a white and blue robe. "Hel-lo?"  
  
The person in the white and blue robe knelt down to look in the mailbox slit.  
White eyes met green eyes. "Good morning, Gaara, is your brother or sister awake yet?" the Hyuuga asked.  
  
"They're eating breakfast," Gaara said.  
  
"Can you let me in? I'm Hinata's father."  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I can't."  
  
"But you know who I am," the Hyuuga head said frowning in confusion. "I'm not a stranger. You can let me in."  
  
"I know you, but I can't turn the handle." Gaara said, demonstrating by trying again.  
  
"Is the door unlocked?"  
  
"Hm-um-mm," Gaara replied, not being able to tell.  
  
Hiashi turned the handle himself and opened the door. Gaara got off the stack of books and moved them. Hiashi stepped in and bowed in greeting to Gaara, who clumbsily tried to mimicked him. "May I speak to your brother and sister?"  
he asked.  
  
"They're in the kitchen," Gaara said and led the Hyuuga head through the living room and peeked into the kitchen. "Hinata's father is here," Gaara said.  
  
Temari 'eeped' and jumped up. "Wait a minute! Don't come in!" she ran down the basement stairs to the laundry room looking for something decent. Mini-shorts and sleeveless tank top were ok for siblings to see, but not company. When she came up later in Kankurou's sweat pants (tied up at the waist with a string) and a t-shirt, Hiashi was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and Kankurou. Temari sat next to Kankurou and apologized.  
  
Hiashi smiled at them. "Neji is permitted to live with the head family until further notice." he told them. "I've come to take him home."  
  
"Cool," Kankurou said simply.  
  
"WHAT!!!" Naruto cried from the floor where the four kids were listening in.  
  
"Neji is coming home with me." Hiashi repeated.  
  
"Aww.." Naruto pouted.  
  
"Can he come visit?" Gaara asked.  
  
Sasuke had no comment.  
  
Neji glares at Sasuke.  
  
Sasuke realizes that he is now outnumbered by Gaara and Naruto and panicks. "Please can he visit?!" he asked/begged.  
  
"Perhaps," Hiashi pondered.  
  
Four kids: (puppy eyes)  
  
Hiashi smiled at them. "Come Neji." Neji got up and followed Hiashi out of the Sand House.  
  
Temari sighed and laid her head down on the table. "Only two left."  
  
"You want to get rid of us?!" Naruto asked.  
  
"Yes," Kankurou said.  
  
Naruto: o.O !!!  
  
Gaara: finished his cereal  
  
Sasuke: had no comment

* * *

After spending the whole morning looking for Kakashi, Temari and Kankurou (with the three remaining chibi's) found him in a book store desperately looking through the shelves for the third copy of Make-Out Paradise (apparently he lost his copy). Unfortunately, the store was out.  
  
"Take care of Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, tossing another book behind him, barely missing Temari for the third time.  
  
"Just for lunch and the afternoon," Temari assured him. Temari was doing the talking since Sasuke, Naruto and Gaara decided that Kankurou was their new toy and were climbing on him. "Please?"  
  
"Only for that time," Kakashi said. Another book sailed passed Temari's head and hit Kankurou in the face.  
  
"Ok, thanks," Temari turned and pulled Sasuke off Kankurou and sat him next to the searching jonin.  
  
Sasuke stared at the departing Sand nins feeling betrayed. He looked up at Kakashi and decided that he was the freakiest thing he had ever seen in all his three years of living.  
  
With the exception of Gaara's family.  
  
"As long as you're here," Kakashi said, searching another shelf. "Help me look for Volume 3 of this." he held out Volume 2 of Make-out Paradise.  
  
"Ok," Sasuke stood and looked through the closest shelf.  
  
Five minutes later.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I can't read."  
  
-.-'

* * *

Naruto's babysitter wasn't that hard to find. Instantly dropping Tsunade as a possible candidate, Temari and Kankurou decided on Jiraiya. They walked over over to the bath houses where they knew he would be. Walking behind them, Gaara and Naruto amused themselves by playing catch (a.k.a throw rock as hard as you can and hope it doesn't hit you in the face). And since neither of them could catch, by the time they got to the bath houses, Naruto was covered in bruises and Gaara was unscathed as the sand caught the rock for him.  
  
"Babysit Naruto?" Jiraiya asked in disbelief.  
  
"Please? Just for a while," Temari begged. (please note in the back ground was Kankurou running from Gaara and Naruto who decided that Karasu looked like a good target to practice their rock throwing skills)  
  
Jiraiya thought for a moment.  
  
**Jiraiya's mental picture:  
**  
Random pretty girls: "Aw! He's so cute!" (Jiraiya holding little Naruto, surrounded by pretty girls)  
  
**end of mental picture**  
  
"Ok."

* * *

After lunch, the sand siblings stopped at a playground (picture it as the coolest McDonald's playhouse in the world(yes people I still play in the MCD's playhouse even though I'm 17 and yes I do fit the height limit) (shut up SNG (SNG: choke on her drink from laughing))), since Gaara wouldn't stop pulling on Kankurou's hair until they let him (SNG: how can he pull on his hair? hello! hood! HR: these kids are sneaky like that SNG: falls over laughing). An hour later and Gaara was still going through every single tube.  
  
Finally, Kankurou got fed up with watching Gaara disappear into the maze of tubes, then come out a few minutes later and repeat the process over and over and over. "Gaara! Come down! It's time to go home!"  
  
"No." came the defiant little voice from some where in the tubes.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Get your puny butt down here, NOW!!!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Don't make me come up there and get you!"  
  
Gaara's head appeared in one of those net things. "You can't come and get me!  
You're to old and FAT to catch me!"  
  
Temari smacks her hand over her mouth and looks at Kankurou. There was a agonizing silence as Kankurou was engulfed in flames. Temari: 'Oh, shit...'  
  
"YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kankurou charged into the tubes and went up to where Gaara was. Gaara saw him. Screamed. And ran for dear life.  
  
Temari almost pissed herself trying not to laugh. Reaching into her shopping bag she pulled out a video camera she bought on the way to the playground. There was no way she was going to miss this.  
  
Kankurou chased Gaara, well you couldn't really call it chase, how about tried to persue Gaara army crawling through the tubes while his brother stood and ran through them. Gaara dove down a slide and Kankurou dove in after them.  
  
**(We now go to Temari's point of view with the camera)**  
  
Temari watched (the slide was a pale color and right in front of a window so she could see them) as Gaara dove down the slide and came to a rolling stop at the bottom, laughing. Kankurou dove down, got half way down the slide then...  
  
"Goddamnit," he muttered. He really needed to cut back on the pie.  
  
Gaara waved to Temari as he passed her going back to the entrance. He was about to go up then stopped when he realized Kankurou wasn't behind him. The two younger sand nins watched their older brother finally squeeze himself out of the slide and get back on the ground again. Gaara silently crept into the entrance (one of those triangle step things where you hafta haul yourself up on (I hate those things). Kankurou spotted him and continued his pursuement. Releasing Karasu he sent his puppet up after Gaara while he climbed up the outside of the thing trying to grab him through the netting. Gaara finally found an exit from the triangle tower thing and climbed into a tunnel. Kankurou ripped a hole through the netting (Kankurou! thats destruction of public property!) and climbed after Gaara.  
  
Temari used up about an hour of her film on Kankurou chasing Gaara through the tubes. Kankurou had tried to give up, but Gaara was having a good time running from him and would taunt Kankurou mercilessly until the puppet user cracked. Kankurou chased Gaara over to the spiral slide. As Gaara went down, Kankurou made another hole in the netting (tsk tsk) and jumped down and waited at the bottom. Gaara came out and Kankurou jumped in front of the slide wrapping the little boy up in an unbreakable bear hug, shouting "Gotcha!!". Gaara yelled and struggled but Kankurou didn't let go. He carried him over to Temari who stopped filming and put the camera away.  
  
Kankurou plopped Gaara down next to Temari. He sat very quietly for a moment then looked up at them.  
  
"I want some ice cream," he told them.  
  
"Only good kids get ice cream," Kankurou said.  
  
"But I AM a good kid!" Gaara insisted.  
  
Kankurou: twitch twitch  
  
"Please?" Gaara begged. He wrapped his arms around Kankurou's legs and hugged him. "Please?"  
  
Kankurou tried to look everywhere but at Gaara. Damn he hated kids. This was one reason why. They to goddamn cute!  
  
Gaara turned to Temari and laid his head on her lap. "...please..?"  
  
"ALRIGHT ALREADY!! WE'LL TAKE YOU!!!" the two cried in unison.

* * *

For some reason, I don't feel right with something.....something tells me I've posted this before, but I just finished this last night. ARGH!!!!!!! CURSE YOU GOLDFISH BRAIN OF MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next Chapter: Sakura's Plot Against Ino


	3. Sakura's Rescue Missions

**Three again**

Chapter 3: Sakura's rescue missions

YATTA!!! new chapter!!! I changed the title obviously, but still good! Before I started writing this fic SNG and I stayed up till like three in the morning thinking of ideas for this fic and I LOST THE PAPER WE WROTE IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (bangs head on table X.x) (Runs around like a chicken with it's head cut off yelling insanely)

* * *

Ino slammed the enormous Konoha phone book down on the counter of the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She stubbornly flipped though the pages, looking for a name. How dare they not ask her? She was a great babysitter! She loved kids! She had already decided that she was going to kill Shikamaru for not telling her about what happened to the other gennins until she asked where Chouji was. She found the 'H's' and began scanning down the names. 'Hatake...Hatake....Got it! Hatake Kakashi.' She slammed the book shut and called to her mother that she was going out. She threw her apron off and stormed out of the shop in pursue of the ex-AMBU and teacher of her Sasuke.

* * *

Kakashi glared at the door when he heard some one knocking. 'Goddamnit, I finally found my book and now I can't read it!' After getting thrown out of the book store Kakashi had brought Sasuke back to his house. He began tearing his house apart looking for his missing book. Sasuke realized that he could help with this and crawled under Kakashi's bed and began throwing random things out from under it: a few articles of cloths, weapons, pictures, a pink teddy bear Kakashi had lost, a few stuffed dogs, Mr. Uuki... until he finally threw out Kakashi's third volume of Make-out Paradise. Kakashi was delighted, however, Sasuke finally realized why Kiba like to destroy stuff. It was fun! Kakashi sat Sasuke down in an enormous cardboard box where he couldn't climb out and gave him a cookie for his efforts. He was just about to sit and read his book when the doorbell had rung.

He went to the door and opened it. "What do you--?"

A blonde blur zoomed past him and went straight to the cardboard box. "Sasuke-chan! There you are! I have been looking for all over the place, yes I have! Did you miss me?" Kakshi glanced behind him and saw Sasuke in the incredible death hug of Yamanaka Ino. Sasuke gave him a 'help me' look.

"Ino, what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, pulling Sasuke out of her grip.

"I came to help you take care of Sasuke," she explained.

"No, sorry, I can't let you do that." Kakashi took Sasuke over to the kitchen counter and set him down. "The Sand-nins are taking care of him and they intrusted me to watch him for the time being. I can't let you take him." Sasuke looked extatic. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all. "Besides I don't think he likes you very much." Ooh! wrong thing to say Kakashi!

Ten minutes later Ino skipped out of the house carrying Sasuke, who was looking back at the unconcious jonin. Never mind.

* * *

Sakura walked though the streets of Konoha with her mother and Hinata; Neji was there too, but he was only there because he had nothing else to do. Her mother was taking both of them out to buy new cloths. She and Hinata were looking in the window of a candy store, when suddenly they heard screams of terror and a cooing voice on the other side of the street. Neji pointed across the street. Turning they saw Ino carrying Sasuke towards her house. Sakura gasped in distress.

"Sasuke-kun!!!"

"Ino-chan stole Sasuke-kun from Gaara's brother!!" Neji said with surprise.

Hinata looked back at Sakura's mother who wasn't paying attention to them. "Hurry! Let's go save Sasuke!"

The three crept away from the store and began following Ino. They followed her, undetected, to her house where she entered then shut all windows, doors etc.

"Now what?" Neji asked, as they stepped up on the porch.

Sakura began banging on the door. "You can't steal Sasuke-kun! He belongs to Gaara's brother!!" (Gotta love three year old logic) (SNG: I LOVE THAT LINE!!! Like, Sasuke's a pet gecko or something...)

The door opened slightly and Ino's head popped out. "Sorry, Sakura-chan, Sasuke's staying with me now." With that she shut the door in their faces.

Sakura burst into tears and sat down on the porch. Hinata and Neji stared at the closed door, amazed that any one could be that rude. Suddenly, Sakura stoped crying and an evil look passed over her face, making the Hyuuga's back up. "Ino-chan...you will **pay**!"

* * *

Sakura knocked on the door of the Aburame-clan's house. A woman with traditional Shino glasses opened the door.

"Can Shino come out?" she asked. Hinata and Neji stood behind her wondering what her brilliant plan was.

"Hold on." The woman leaned her head back into the house. "Shino-kun! You're friends are here!"

A few minutes later, Shino was sitting in a small clearing in the woods with Sakura and Hinata. Allow me to take this moment and briefly describe three year old Shino for you. (H-Rclears her throat) He is taller then Sakura, Hinata and Neji cause Shino is one of the tallest gennins in Naruto, he's wearing a grey hoody and brown pants and instead of his Shino glasses he has on goggles (not like Naruto's old goggles, but like the kind you wear when you go shydiving, or mudracing (which is like the scarriest, coolest thing in the world). Sakura had made Neji leave saying he would get in the way.

"So will you help us?" Sakura asked after she explain the situation to the three year old bug user.

"Please?" Hinata begged. After hearing Sakura's idea she was eager to help.

"What's in it for me?" Shino asked frowning behind his goggles.

"We'll let you take care of the bugs in Gaara's house."

"Ok."

* * *

Sakura, Hinata and Shino crept into the allyway behind the Yamanaka flower shop. After making sure Ino was in there (standing behind the counter with Sasuke strapped to her back) Sakura turned and began to explain the steps to fulfilling her plan.

"Using mainly dolls--"

"No! Spoons!" Hinata interupted.

"Spoons," Sakura nodded deciding that was a better idea, "we dig a tunnel underneath the store and up into it where we release Shino's bee and wasp collection. Ok?"

"Spoons?" Shino asked in monotone. "Why not just go through the front door so we can get out with Sasuke faster?"

"Cause that's to hard. My way's easier."

".....riiiight..." Shino said, giving them a weird look. "But if we go through the front, we'll be taking her by surprise!"

"No she'll be expecting that," Sakura insisted.

"But she'll be expecting that we'll be expecting that she's expecting that and since she's expecting that we'll be expecting that she's expecting that, we know that she'll be expecting that we're expecting that she's expecting that we're expecting to do something else." (whoa..H-R goes and sits down for a while since she just broke her brain trying to write that (SNG didn't even try to read that)) Shino crossed his arms and waited.

Sakura thought this over. "Shino's right," she told Hinata (Neither of them understood what he said it just sounded smart).

Hinata gave a little pout. "Can I still use my spoon?" she asked, holding a large metal soup spoon she had aquired fron the Hyuuga kitchen.

"Sure, you can use it to distract Ino with it, while I get Sasuke."

"OK!"

"Ready?" Sakura put her hand out and the two others put their hand on her's. "Let's go!"

* * *

Sasuke glared at the flowers and door everytime Ino turned her back to it. He was strapped to her back and could only stare at the wall, until she turned around for some reason. 'Stupid Gaara's family,' he thought to himself. 'How dare they leave me with that crazy, weak one-eyed guy!'

The bell on the door chimed as a costumer stepped in. Ino turned to greet them. "Hello! Welcome to--oh hi Hinata!" Ino leaned on the counter to look down at the Hyuuga head's oldest-now-youngest. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Hinata said extra sweetly, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Do you want some flowers?" Ino asked.

"No."

"What is it then?"

"I want....TO SAVE SASUKE!!!!" Hinata whipped out her spoon and jumped onto the counter and began thwacking Ino with it. Sasuke couldn't be happier. (You could hear the hallelujah chorus. SNG: (off-key) Ahhhhhhh-AAAAARCGH! Kyuubi: Shoot her, please, MAKE IT STOP! H-R: (does so))

The door burst open and Sakura and Shino ran in. While Ino was distracted by Hinata, Sakura freed Sasuke and all four ran for the door. Ino looked up and saw that Sasuke had escaped and began chasing them. She stopped short when Shino barred her way. In his hands was a big box. He smiled up at her and opened it, releasing all his wasps and bees into the flower shop. Ino screamed and ducked under the counter as thousands of flower loving creatures zoomed around. With that Shino followed the others leaving te door open slightly so his bees could find their way home. (SNG: They're like horses. (takes dramatic Gai-pose) FIND YOUR WAY HOME, BEES! (points to horizon) H-R: STOP WRITING IN MY FAN FIC!!!!!)

Sasuke felt as though christmas had come early (or if he was still older, someone told him he killed Itachi). He hugged them all a hug in thanks (yes even Shino, their three peoples). Then they walked off to look for Gaara to return Sasuke to Gaara's brother. How ever they never made it that far. Sakura happened to see a friend of her's being carried away by an enormous green asparagus that resembled an anime version of Bruce Lee.

"Why is all my friends getting stolen?" she asked no one in particular.

"Lee isn't staying with Gaara's brother," Sasuke told her. (Oh, SNG told me to tell u this when the kids say "Gaara" it sounds like "Gaa-ah" or "Gaawa")

"So?" Sakura asked. "We need to save Lee now too!"

Insert ten minutes of pondering.

"We need Kiba's help," she said when she thought of something much more eviler then her plot against Ino. Shino and Hinata led them over to the Inuzuma house where dogs roam free and the fleas enjoy life.

Kiba came out when he saw them with Akamaru, who was now very big compared to his master and it freaked the poor puppy out, but he got over it. Sakura didn't even finish telling him her plan before he agreed.

* * *

Disclaimer: The following method of Saving Lee was not my idea. It came from that movie Cheaper By the Dozen which is where I got the original idea for this fanfic. Please don't flame me. For better kicks then reading this watch the movie and put the Naruto characters in.

It was pure conicidence and luck that Gai wasn't wearing his favorite green outfit. Lee had had an accident and now Gai had to wash it. Gai's washer and dryer were in the basement and he and Lee were upstairs. Sakura, Sasuke, Shino, Hinata and Kiba climbed into the basement through the little window and opened the dryer. With two kunai Sakura lifted out the green outfit and stuffed it in a bag. Handing the bag to Sasuke and Shino she nodded to them.

"Be back in five minute," she said to them as they climbed back out the window. As the two boys left, Sakura, Hinata and Kiba went around front and knock on the door.

"Yes?" Gai asked as he opened the door, donned in a green robe.

"Can Lee-kun come out and play at Kiba's house?" Sakura asked in an ultra sweet voice. Knowing how much Lee liked Sakura when they were older, Gai of course said yes and sent Lee off with them, saying he'll pick Lee up at Kiba's house in a few hours.

**A Few Hours Later**

Gai knocked on the Inuzuma's front door, now dressed in his nice clean green outfit. Kiba's older sister Tsume opened then door and greeted him. She ushered him into the house and said she'd go get Lee. She went upstair to look for him, leaving Gai in the livingroom. However the kids were not upstairs they were in the next room over, keeping four of the Inuzuma dogs at bay. Tsume came back down and assure Gai he wouldn't have to wait to long. Just before she entered the room where the six kids were, they let go of the dogs and pretended (quite well actually) that they were doing nothing wrong.

Tsume smiled at them. "Lee-kun, Gai-sensei is--"

She was cut off by a blood curtling scream of terror in the living room. Tsume rushed into the room and saw Akamaru, Kuromaru, and two other dogs practically attacking Gai. Licking him, chewing at his cloths. Tsume looked practically horrified and began trying to call the dogs off. However, even dogs as well trained as Inuzuma dogs can't withstand the smell of fresh meat which is what Shino and Sasuke soaked Gai's cloths in. The six kids tried to surprese their laughter, but Tsume heard them and turned to them. They immediately stopped.

"I don't suppose you guys had anything to do with this?" she asked. They all shook their heads. "Are you lying to me?" she leaned closer to them. A more hesitant shake this time. She leaned closer.

"DAD!!! THE DOGS ARE ATTACKING THE GREEN MAN!!!!!" Kiba suddenly shouted. "AND TSUME SAYING IT'S MY FAULT!!!!"

Tsume turned away quickly to defend herself from Kiba's accusation, she turned to glare at them, but they were no where in sight. They had all ran out the door and Kiba had some how dragged Akamaru away too.

* * *

I have a sick mind.....

Thats all I have to say...

No wait...SNG's Kyu's in the next chapter entitled: "Where's Gaw-ah when ya need him?"


	4. Where's Gawah when ya need him?

**Three Again**

Chapter 4: "Where's Gaa-ah when ya need him?"

Kyu is not my character, it's SNG's from A Night To Remember and it's sequel....and the sequel to the sequel she hasn't posted yet....ahem. We came up with this as a funny side story and she wanted this put in.

* * *

Kankurou grumbled to himself as he got in line at the checkout. Sakura had brought Sasuke, Shino, Hinata, Lee and Kiba (with Akamaru) back to the house saying she saved them from crazy people who stole them from him (Kankurou and Temari: ".....?"). A few minutes later Ino, Kakashi, Tsume, and Gai came looking like they were about to kill something. Temari told him to do the shopping while she handled it. Kankurou hated shopping, but he really didn't want to deal with the enraged leaf nins right now.

He looked up at the checkout next to the one he was in and froze. A young girl stood there smiling, waiting patiently for the man to ring up her purchases. She had long black hair and bright blue eyes. His eyes followed her as she left the store with her bags. Kankurou snapped out of his daze and hurriedly paid the cashier and ran out of the store to look for her. However Kankurou was not that lucky and she was gone. Shoulders slumped miserably, he trudged home.

Gaara was rolling around on the grass out front waiting impacently for Naruto to come home when Kankurou walked through the gate. He sat down next to him and dropped his bags. "You're not going to believe this," Kankurou informed him as Gaara sat up. "If I give you a cookie will you listen?" Gaara nodded and Kankurou took out a box of cookies from one of the bags and handed the whole thing to Gaara. "Ok. I was getting stuff at the store and I saw this girl at the checkout next to mine. God, she was gorgeous!" (gets a dreamy look on his face as he pictured her) "She had black hair and blue eyes, with the prettiest smile! I felt like I was walking on clouds when I saw her." he came out of his day dream and looked down at Gaara. "Pretty cool huh?"

"Open," Gaara held the box which he had been trying to open up to him.

"You weren't listening to a thing I said, were you?" Kankurou said with a glare, opening the box and handing it back to him.

"You saw a pretty girl at the store," Gaara said, reaching in to get a cookie.

"Yep." Cue La La land.

"Prettier then Temari-niisan?" Gaara asked munching on a cookie.

"Temari is not pretty."

"She is too!" Gaara insisted. (all little brothers think their sisters and mom are the prettiest things in the world. It's so kawaii! SNG: (nods knowingly) We have one) "'Kamaru (Shikamaru) thinks she's pretty too."

"Fine, fine. MUCH prettier," Kankurou told him. Gaara looked like he just got the shock of his life. "I hope I can see her again."

"Kankurou?" Temari poked her head out. "Can you bring in those groceries?"

Kankurou sighed and stood, getting the bags and carrying them inside. Gaara stayed outside, eating his cookies thinking. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out his crayon drawings. Then he got up and walked out of the yard, carrying his box of cookies.

* * *

"GAARAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Temari ran out of one room then ran into another going through every nook and crany. Running out she went into another room screaming for her little brother. Kankurou opened the coat closet on the first floor. Seeing no one, he closed it then turned to the ninja-turned-three-year-olds standing in a row.

"Alright, Gaara's missing," Kankurou told them pacing in front of them like a sargent. "He was last seen out side therefore might still be out side in the village. I want you to spread out and find him. This is a mission, ok?" general nodds followed. "Go!" The kids ran outside and scattered.

Shikamaru groaned as he came out of the kitchen where he had been searching. Temari could be heard in the background screaming for Gaara. "Damn brat..." he mumbled.

Temari ran down the stairs and flung her arms around Shikamaru, sobbing on his shoulders. "He's gone!!!"

"He can take care of himself," Shikamaru assured her, giving her a pat.

"No he can't! He's only three and he can't take care of himself!" she sobbed.

Shikamaru: SIGH!! "Let's go outside and look for him, ok?" She nodded and he led her out the front door as the three year olds came running in the back.

"Kank-woah!!" Neji called running in. (SNG: Awwwwww! HE SO CUTE!! Kyuubi: You're only saying that because it's Neji. SNG: SHUT UP!)

"Did you find him?" Kankurou asked. They all shook their heads. "What?! Then why are you back?"

"We got yelled at and sent home," Kiba told him.

"They said we were not safe," Neji added.

Kankurou cursed under his breath about idiotic leaf nins and useless three year olds. Just then the front door opened and who should step in, but Gaara still carrying his box of cookies. "Where the hell have you been!?!" Kankurou fumed.

"I brought you a present," Gaara said pointing at the door.

"See?" he opened the door the rest of the way revealing the girl Kankurou saw in the store (how Gaara actually found her amoung the countless thousands of girls in Konoha with only the crayon drawing is beyond me).

Kankurou: O.o !!!!!!

He turned and shoved all the kids down into the basement and shut the door. Gaara, not wanting to be put in the basement where it was dark and where he was absolutely certain that the gremlins from Gremlins and the trolls and werewolves from Harry Potter were hiding waiting for unsuspecting prey (notice he gives no concern for his friends. The thought hadn't crossed his mind), shuffled into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

Kankurou smiled shyly at the girl who also smiled back. "I'm Kankurou, sorry about my brother."

"Oh, it's ok. He's really cute," she said, smiling a bit whider. "I'm Kyu." (SNG character. she made me SNG: FEEL MY POWER! H-R: death glare SNG: (tiny little voice) power gone)

They talked for a little while. Temari came into the back door with Shikamaru. "Gaara!" she cried running over to him and embracing him. "Where have you been?"

"Outside."

"Where'd you get those cookies?" she asked as he shoved one of the last two cokkies in him mouth. He held the last one out for her. (bribe) She sighed and took it from him. "Where'd you get 'em?"

"Um.....no where," he answered.

"Who gave them to you?"

"Not Kankurou!"

Temari's eyes narrowed. "I see." she looked at the door to the living room. Gaara noticed this and jumped in front of her.

"No! Kank-woah's talking to the pretty lady he saw that the store!"

"Be still my sould! Kankurou's talking to a girl?!"

"I found her for him."

"....." 'uh-oh..' Temari and Gaara glanced into the living room as Kankurou said good bye to Kyu and shut the door behind her.

Dead silence.

Kankurou turned slowly and deliberately to face Gaara. A chill ran down the redhead's spine. Kankurou made a rush at his little brother who screamed and ran behind Temari.

"Kankurou, he thought he was helping!" Temari cried as Kankurou tried to grab Gaara around her.

"That was not helpful!" Kankurou snapped to her, catching Gaara's sleeve and dragging him out from behind her.

Temari pulled him off Gaara and turned to her youngest brother. "Go sit on my bed for a bit Gaara, ok?" Gaara ran up to the stair but stopped half way and sat to listen. "What the hell do you think your doing?!" she was saying.

"I wanna know what _he_ was thinking," came Kankurou's reply.

"Kankurou, he's three! He thought he was helping you."

"Temari, he's Gaara. He has never, _ever_, done anything helpful to either of us."

Temari didn't respond for a while. There was an angry silence. "At least he's trying."

"Well, his 'trying' sucks. That was really embarassing for me!"

'I'm sorry Kankurou, but he didn't know it would embarrass you."

"I don't care! He's been ruining my life ever since he was born! I can't stand being around him anymore." Kankurou came out of the kitchen to go up the stair to his room with Temari behind him. Both stopped short when they saw Gaara sitting on the stairs. Gaara didn't look at them, he just stood and walked back down the stairs and out the back door. "Shit..." Kankurou mumbling, remembering his little resolution.

* * *

**Ok. on to the funny part..**

Lee, Sasuke, and Kiba slammed their shoulders in the door again. No success. Kankurou had accidently locked the door when he closed it. He also forgot to turn the light on. Their eyes had only just begun to slightly adjust. Sakura, Chouji, and Hinata were huddled together with Neji who was 'protecting them' from the dark. Shino was crouching in the corners staring at the little bug that was crawling across the floor.

Lee stomped down the stairs with Kiba. "Gaw-ah could knock the door down with his sand." Lee told Kiba.

Kiba began pacing the room. How dare they lock him up? "Where's Gaw-ah when ya need him?!"

**SQUISH!!!**

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-" gasps for breath "-OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Shino screamed, knocking Kiba away. He bent down and scooped up the remains of his squashed and deseased little friend. "My widdle friend!" he sobbed, squeakily. "He's been smushed!"

Death glare at Kiba. "I...um...er..ah....I sorry." Kiba stammered. Bugs began surrounding Kiba like a menacing army. Shino charged at Kiba who ran screaming for his life. "I SORRYYY!!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

I have nothing to say about this one except I'm sorry it was so short.

Next chapter doesn't have a name yet, but Sasuke gets to meet Itachi and Shino has a funeral for his bug.

Oh yeah. note to Midori. what the heck is ur email?! SNG and I've been trying to figure that out for the longest time


	5. Brothers Unite

**Three Again**

Chapter Five: Brothers unite

another chapter. I couldn't sleep last night so I got a lot done. except SNG's po-ed at me now I think for reasons you will never know. ;-P

* * *

Temari discovered the trapped three year olds in the basement when Kiba's screams of terror reached the kitchen. She opened the door and ran down, turning the light on as she went down. Kiba jumped into her arms screaming like a maniac with all of hell after him. With the lights on the kidified shinobi looked around and saw Shino's vast army of menacing bugs crawling in their great mass across the floor. Neji screamed.

"IT'S A GREMLIN!!!! GAW-AH WAS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Neji abandoned his protecting job(that job discription stated that he was to protect them from the dark. It said nothing about gremlins). Sasuke heard the warning and also freaked out. Both boys leapt into Temari's arms screaming about gremlins.

Temari ran up the stairs with the three boys still clinging to her with Shino chasing them. "Kankurou!!! Help!!!!" She ran into the living room where Kankurou was.

Kankurou looked up from where he was being miserable in the corner. He saw Shino and the screaming boys. "Knock it off guys."

They all stopped instantly.

"When did they see Gremlins?!" she demanded as she put the boys down.

"When you were out 'shopping'."

"Kank-woah! my bug!!" Shino ran up to him and showed him the squashed bug.

Pause. "Oh...that sucks..."

"Kiba _killed_ him!!"

"It's ok, Shino-kun. We'll have a nice funeral for him later alright?" Temari tolded him trying to calm him down.

Sniff. "Ok."

* * *

Jiraiya brought Naruto home not long after the bug incident. He was very reluctant to do so, but Naruto really wanted to go home and see his friends. Naruto had spent the whole time calling Jiraiya "Old Guy" which in Jiraiya's mind was better then Ero-sennin.However, after a while he began to miss Naruto calling him that so he told Naruto to call him Ero-sennin instead. Which he did, just always at the wrong time, like when he was speaking to a pretty girl.

When they got to the Sand-nins house, Naruto ran around to the backyard to find Gaara. Jiriaya shook his head, grinning and went up to the door. Shikamaru answered and asked where Naruto was, and Jiraiya told him. Shikamaru asked if he wanted to some in, but Jiraiya insisted that he had researching to do and left.

* * *

"Hi Gaara!" Naruto called when he saw his friend sitting next to a tree. He stopped short when Gaara only gave him a tiny smile and half hearted wave. "What's wrong?"

"Kank-woah hates me."

"No he doesn't!" Naruto said plopping down in front of him.

"He told Temari he hates me."

Naruto thought for a while then answered, "Maybe he was having a bad day?" Gaara shrugged and didn't respond.

"Gaara!" Temari poked her head outside. "You wanna come in now?" Gaara shook his head. "Kankurou's not mad anymore, I promise!" Gaara shook his head. Temari sighed and went back in. "He's really upset." she told Shikamaru.

"I'd be to if my favorite person in the _world_ told me he can't stand me." Shikamaru said pointedly at the depressed puppet user in the corner, who was torn betwen being upset with Gaara and being upset that Gaara was upset that he was upset. It was a very complicated process. What a horrible brother he was, to say he couldn't stand his little brother...what a horrible brother Gaara was, to bring Kyu here with no warning...but he was helping. But that was embarrassing. He didn't know. I yelled at him....(see what I mean by complitated)

**Three hours later (about 7 PM)...**

"Gaara, please come in it's almost time for dinner," Temari called. Gaara shook his head. "Are you going to stay out here all night?!" Shrug. "......" Temari groaned. "Naruto," she called to the blond gennin who was faithfully sitting with his upset friend. "Make him come in, please?" Temari watched as Naruto tried to convince him to do so, with little success. Temari shut the door and stormed into the living room. "KANKUROU!!!!!"

Everyone in the room jumped...except Kankurou who was muttering in the corner.

"Go talk to Gaara! He's going to stay out there all night!" she said. No responce. (mumblemumble) "KANKUROU!!!!!!" Temari hit him across the head with her fan that randomly appeared out of nowhere.

"But, he's upset about what I said and he wont believe me if I tell him!" Kankurou insisted.

"Gaw-ah's upset?!" Hinata cried, clutching her spoon that she stole from the dishwasher horrified. Jumping up she, Neji, Kiba, Shino (still clutching his bug), Sasuke, Sakura and Lee ran outside to help their destressed friend.

**Two hours later (about 9 PM)**

Gaara had decided that he wasn't hungry and stayed outside throught dinner while the others went inside to eat, then Temari and Shikamaru wrestled them into their rooms and beds and turned the light out. For fear of gremlins creaping on the floor and other things of their imaginations, they laid perfectly still in their beds until they fell asleep.

**Three hours later 12 midnight (Gaara's persistant isn't he?)**

Gaara looked up when the lights went out in Temari's room. She was always the last one to go to sleep. The lights were off on the first floor too. He got up and decided to go in. He was hungry. Quietly, he opened the door and crept over to the fridge. Finding the remains of delivered pizza, opened a box and took a few of the cold slices out. He quickly shuffled past the basement door (the fear of gremlins still high on his mind) and went into the living room to sit on the sofa and watch some tv since he had nothing else to do. He was startled to see Kankurou on the sofa.

"Hi," Kankurou said with a small grin.

"Hi."

Ackward silence.

"Sorry," they both said. Gaara blinked when they spoke at the same time, then laughed. Kankurou grinned and sat up making room for Gaara.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Kankurou asked him as the little boy scrambled up on the sofa.

"Yeah!" Gaara answered taking a bite of pizza (pepperoni). "Not _Gremlins_!"

"Yeah, that was a bad movie to show you guys, wasn't it..." Kankurou looked over his vast array of movies. "_Lord of the Rings_, Japanese translation?"

"Ok!"

* * *

The next day Kankurou discovered that _Lord of the Rings _wasn't a good movie to show his three year old brother since now Gaara would walk past any large body of water without making Neji look through it with his Byakugan for the Watcher in the Water. And he now thought that putting on a ring made him invisable.

**Story of Neji's Byakugan**

Shikamaru groan as a band of mini ninja's ran at him chorusing: 'Kamaru! 'Kamaru!. "What?" he asked looking down at them.

"Something's wrong with Neji's eyes!!!" Naruto cried.

"What is he walking into walls? Does he need glasses?" (funny mental picture for Shikamaru). "Don't you guys usually go to Kankurou with your problems?"

"But, but, but--"

Neji suddenly walked in holding one of Temari's hand mirror, staring at his reflection. "'Kamaru? Why you have a little box in your pocket?" Neji asked without looking at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru: O.o !!! 'How'd he know--' He stopped for a minute. Taking the mirror away from Neji's face he saw little veins around his eyes. 'Oh, crap...'

"You've got lines all in your head, 'Kamaru!" Neji stated, then began to tell everyone what they had for breakfast cause he could see in their stomaches.

'How very disturbing and troublesome...'

**End of story**

* * *

The three older ninjas decided to take the kids out for a walk up and down the streets of Konoha's main strip mall. They kept a close eye on them as they all scattered looking into different shop windows or playing with each other. Naruto had found a very pretty, shiny coin on the street and was showing it to Gaara. A man in a long dark coat suddenly stepped up to them.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said.

"Hi," Naruto said looking up. They both stared up and the black haired man.

Gaara blinked and made an overexagerated motion of pointing at him. "Whoa!!! You look just like Sasuke!!"

"Naruto-kun, I need you to come with me," he said to Naruto.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Uchiha Itachi," he answered.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! What a funny name!" Naruto cried, laughing loudly.

His laughing caught Shikamaru's attention. He saw the man standing with them and grabbed Temari and Kankurou's shoulders. "It's Itachi!"

"Who?" they asked.

"Sasuke's older brother. He wants Naruto," Shikamaru told them. They gave him an odd look. "He's bad. Evil." They walked up to stand behind Naruto and Gaara. "What are you doing here Itachi?" Shikamaru demanded.

"I'm here for-" Itachi cut himself off when he felt a little 'tug-tug' on his coat. "Yes?" he glanced down at the black haired boy standed next to him.

"Hi."

"Hello."

"Something tells me I'm not s'pose to like you, but I don't know why," Sasuke said looking thoughtful. "I think (phink) I read it somewhere, but I don't know how to read so I don't know why."

"..................." Itachi stared at him then looked up. "Who's this kid?"

"I don't even know who you is" Sasuke continued. "Were you my friend?"

Itachi frowned and pick Sasuke up to eye level. Long pause. "SASUKE?!?!"

"Hi."

DROP!!!

Itachi went into a defensive position. "What is this? Confuse Itachi day!?! What the hell is going on?!" Suddenly one by one (or in pairs) the kidified shinobi came up to Kankurou, Temari and Shikamaru. Itachi looked from one to another with tiny little gasps or fear. Kankurou, feeling slightly desturbed by his actions, took a bat that randomly appeared out of nowhere and knocked him unconcious.

"Kankurou! " Shikamaru said shocked. "You just defeated Itachi!"

"Yes, I did," Kankurou said glaring at the crumpled body.

And so Itachi was arrested and placed in a mental ward because the sight of his brother as a three year old again made his mind, or what ever was left of it crack. And poor Sasuke never found out why he remembered Itachi.

* * *

hee sorry for dissing Itachi, I don't not like him, I think he's cool, but this scene randomly popped into me head during economics. Thanks to Leo who produced the line for me: "What is this confuse Itachi day!?" (he said "-Confuse Leo day" but it was still funny.)

Next chapter Shino gets his funeral and H-R will try to find her paper with the ideas written down because she can't remember them or wait until SNG comes home from school. (I is sick today)


	6. Attack of the Sharkman

**Three Again**

Chapter 6: Attack of the sharkman

* * *

Everyone and their parents stood around a little rock that marked the burial site for Shino's deseased friend who's name he decided was Bug. Shino was crying, but since he was still wearing his goggles he had to epmty them out every few minutes. Hinata started to cry because Shino was her friend and she felt bad. Kiba looked uncomfortable and appologized countless times to Shino, promising that he would never hurt another bug in his life. Gaara was clutching Kankurou's leg, not understanding why he felt like crying himself, but he wasn't alone. All the kidified shinobi felt like crying for their friend's 'sleeping' pet.

Shino gave another shuddering sigh, then Temari turned to Kankurou with a small smile. "Kankurou, you should say something for him."

Kankurou glared at her, then hid it quickly as Shino looked up at him with a hopeful little smile. "Uh.... Bug...was a ..great bug." he gave a nod like he thought he was done and looked around. Temari glared at him. "He..he wasn't like other bugs, in fact.....he was almost part of the family of friends we've made. He...scuttled and crawled....and..." Shikamaru's hand was over his face, Kankurou couldn't tell if it was 'oh, brother' or if he was laughing. "....protected the--the basement from.....attacking...." Temari and Shikamaru slowly raised their heads and stared at him, "....attacking gremlins from getting up the stairs into the kitchen..." the kids all nodded vigorously and Kankurou smiled, pleased with his first eulogy. "Do you want to say anything, Shino?" Kankurou asked turning to the boy. Shino sniffed and shook his head. Sakura and Hinata stepped forward and placed flowers (weeds) that they picked from the front yard on the grave. Then everyone had a long moment of silence.

* * *

On a large rock overlooking Konohagura a tall figure in a dark cloak smirked down at the village. On his back was a wrapped up weapon that looked strangely like Sanosuke's zanbato. "Itachi....I'll get you out of there. I promise." Suddenly a random crow disrupted the dramatic scene, by doing it's business on the 'menacing' figure's head (SNG: CAW CAW!!!). "DAMN YOU BIRDS!!!!!!"

* * *

Sasuke, Hinata, Neji, Gaara, Kiba, Akamaru and Naruto shuffled through the sickeningly white hallways. By pressing the matter on Shikamaru, which included nearly completely maxing out on their puppy eyes and trembling lips, they learned that Itachi was Sasuke's brother (all kids: overexagerated look of shock). Shikamaru decided not to include the fact that Itachi was a dangerous felon who had indeed murdered everyone in his family but Sasuke. Sasuke, being the loving brother that he was, he decided to visit his poor brother in the mental ward. He was going to bring caramel cremes, but he accidently, unconciously, and most unintentionaly ate them on the way. He shared a few with his friends, trying not to give any to Naruto and Gaara, but their look of heartbrokeness twinged his poor twisted soul and they ended up having more then everyone else. But even the kindness of sharing did not erase the fact that they were gone. He decided not to tell Itachi that.

While Gaara, Naruto and Neji silently debated about why the hell the walls were so white, and Hinata and Kiba peered into every room and every window and every hallway and at every person and every table and every-- (Shukaku: **we get it shut up..**), Sasuke concentrated all his will power at the numbers on the doors, however, as he told Itachi, he couldn't read so all the names and numbers on the doors meant absolutely nothing to him and the six of them ended up walking through the entire building (restricted and nonrestricted), passing the actual room they were looking for about fifteen times. Finally, one of the nurses realized that the same six kids had walked passed her about twenty times and she went to them to ask what they were doing.

"We're looking for Sasuke's brother," Kiba told her, peering at what she had been doing.

"What is your brother's name Sasuke?" she asked the other five, not quite sure who Sasuke was.

"Sasuke's-brother Uchiha," Neji answered.

"E-touch-Ee," Naruto said.

"Who?" the nurse asked.

"E......touch....Eeeeeee," Gaara enounciated slowly for her, then added. "Uchiha."

"Uchiha..." the nurse paused. "Oh! Uchiha Itachi?"

"That's what we said!" Naruto insisted.

"He's in room 105," said the nurse who will now be called Nurse.

"......?" was the general reaction.

"This one right here," she pointed to the door they were standing next to.

The kidified shinobi stared at the door which read: '105-Uchiha Itachi'. However, this meant nothing to them since none of them could read. But they did recognize the Uchiha symbol since it was also on Sasuke back (Sasuke: "It is?!?!" (tries to see the back of his shirt but ended up running in circles))

Nurse left them by the door to go in. The other five smiled and poked Sasuke in the back to make him go first. Just as Sasuke was about to reach out and open the door, Akamaru barked softly, however in the silent bleached white hallways it echoed and was magnified ten times louder causing them all to jump and say 'sssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!'.

"Akamaru says we should hide!" Kiba tolded them after they stopped shushing. "Someone not-good-guy is coming."

The kids ducked behind a cart-table thing and peered out. Kankurou played hide-and-seek with them and to they were very good at hiding, so there will be no cracks in this fanfic about most of them is sticking out or they're just standing there with their hands over their eyes (SNG: (hiding with the boys; her butt's sticking out) Ohhh..... (disappointed) Kyuubi: And that looked almost amusing, too.). Down the hall was a tall blue person doing overexageration of commando duck-and-cover coming closer, singing the _Mission Impossible_ theme. A nurse and a doctor walked by and he plastered himself up against the wall in a funny position (aka, H-R's "Become the wall!" ) holding a note (aaaaaahhh-uuuuuhhhh-aaaaahhhh-uuuuhhh-aaaahhh-uuu---). The doctor and nurse of course saw him, but since this was a mental ward, thought nothing of it. When they had disappeared around a corner, he unplastered himself and continued the commando thing until he came to Itachi's room. He looked around to see if anyone was watching and started to open the door.

"GET OUT OF SASUKE'S BROTHERS ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" came the voices of six three years screaming at the top of their lungs.

Kisame, for that was who it was of course, nearly jumped through the ceiling. He turned and saw them charging at him, yelling random things. Caught completely off guard he tried to get his guard up in time to defend himself from them, but to late.

TOUCHIE-FEELIE!!!!!!

"Why are you blue?"

"Are you a fish?"

"What's a fish?"

"He's a fish!"

"Is that a spoon?!"

"Why you gots clouds on your coat?"

"Can I play with your spoon?"

"Hey, you're bigger then Kank-woah!" Pause. "Let's climb on him!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (Kisame's screams fade...)

* * *

Kankurou and Temari listened patiently as Gaara, sitting on several telephone books so he could see over the edge of the table in his chair, told his adventures of the day over dinner (take-out. Temari had a good day).

"And the Sharkman ran away screaming," Gaara concluded, taking another bite of pizza. He chewed for a while then looked up again with a questioning expression. "What's a shark?"

"A fish," Kankurou replied.

"What's a fish?"

"Something that lives in the water," Temari answered.

"Then why was he not in the water?" Gaara asked, taking another bite.

Kankurou and Temari exchanged looks. "Maybe he was....looking for water." Kankurou answered finally. Temari gave him that 'that was pathetic look'.

"Oh!" Gaara replied finishing his pizza and taking another one. "And he wanted Sasuke's brother to help him?"

"Sure, Gaara," they said, eating their own pieces.

**Later that night around 2am....**

It was Kankurou's turn to stay up with Gaara that night. However, the only thing the insomniac wanted to do it seemed was stare at the wall the whole time. With nothing to keep himself awake, the puppet-user's mind slipped into slumber around eleven o'clock. Gaara waited a little longer until he was sure Kankuroui was alseep. Then he crept up the stairs and woke Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata and Neji (who were spending the night) up.

Together they crept into Kankurou's room (stopping to play with Karasu for a little while) and began sorting through his ninja stuff. They took out the items they needed then crept down the stairs and out of the house.......

* * *

2B Continued (DUNDUN DUUUUN!! xD doncha love cliffhangers)


	7. Just Keep Swimming'

**Three Again**

Chapter seven: "Just keep swimming...."

Hee Hee!!! I love this fan fic!

* * *

Kiba opened his eyes when Akamaru woke him up by nudging him gently.

"Bark bark."

"They're here?" Kiba sat up and threw the covers off. "Finally!"

* * *

The secritary looked up when someone said 'ahem', but saw no one. Then she heard a 'hey!' and leaned over to look down. She must say she didn't expect to see six puny kids staring up at her, but her years of working at a mental ward cause her to be use to seeing strange things.

"Sorry, dears, visiting hours are over," she told them. "Besides, it's late, you should be in bed sleeping."

"I don't sleep!" Gaara told her, proudly.

"You poor thing," she said, not believing him at first. Then she realised that the dark lines around his eyes weren't a kind of make-up and felt bad. Gaara didn't seem to mind though as Neji stood on his toes to see over the desk.

"We're here to protect Sasuke's brother," the little Hyuuga said.

"He's safe here, dear, don't worry about it." She said coming around the desk. "You need your sleep, and your family will be worried." she began shoo-ing them out the door. "Come back tomorrow at eleven AM to visit him ok sweeties?" she said as she shut the door behind the five kids (hint hint). She went back to her desk and sat down sighing. Glancing at the papers she had been working on, she saw a tiny little ball with a cute distorted face drawn on it. Curious she picked it up to examin it.

POOOMF!!!!

The secritary went x.X as Kankurou's sleep bomb went off. Gaara came out from under her desk giggling. He positioned her so that she was laying her head on her desk then patted her back. Then he ran over to the window (he can't reach door handles remember?) and opened it for the others outside. They climbed in then quietly snuck up the stairs and down the halls to room 105 with the Uchiha symbol on the door.

* * *

Kisame walked through the hallways to his master and friend's room. God he hated mental wards and hospitals. They were too clean, too quiet...and too goddamn white! It just felt wrong! But he would endure it to rescue Itachi. Plus the rest of Atasuki would kill him if he didn't bring Itachi back to their group. 

He stopped at the door to the oldest Uchiha and realized why eveything felt wrong. It was to quiet. Where were the doctors and night shifts? He shrugged this off, then thought about it some more. Why wasn't Itachi's room guarded? He was one of the most wanted missing nins in Konoha. You'd think that now they got him, they'd want to keep him (H-R: funny mental picture). Kisame shook his head to clear his thoughts. Get Itachi, get out. Before the mental ward made him mental himself. He opened the door and stepped in, suddenly.............

* * *

"And that's what happened," the jonin told Kankurou and Temari (H-R and Shukaku laughs at all the people who probably just yelled what!?! what happened!!??!), handing them a handcuffed, gagged and tied up Gaara (lub-lub sob). The jonin unhandcuffed him then left after the sand nins thanked him. 

Gaara was quite expecting them to untie him, ungag him and hug him and tell hiim they were sorry about all that like a normal brother and sister would do, but Temari and Kankurou are not a normal brother and sister. They did not untie him, but they did ungag him. They sat him down on the overstuffed chair and stood over him, much like the jonins had done when they questioned him. It was quite scary, especially for a three year old. He tried smiling at them but they only glared down more.

"We are VERY disappointed with you Gaara," Temari said. Gaara hung his head. "You snuck out of the house without telling anyone. You went all the way to the mental ward with only five other three year olds. You disobeyed the secritary's orders to go home. And you stole some of Kankurou's ninja stuff."

"But--"

"Not done yet," she silenced him. "I thought you knew better then that Gaara." Gaara hung his head again. "What if you used the wrong kind of bomb and really hurt someone? Did you know it was wrong to be in the ward when you're not suppose to? And THEN, then you fought with the jonin who stopped you so much that they had to tie you up! Now I want to know what the hell you have to say for yourself." Kankurou didn't say anything on his part. She pretty much covered everything.

"I sorry..."

"You should be!" she said in that yelling voice that parents say aren't yelling but it is.

"But, Temari--"

"No buts! You can't make excuses to cover yourself up, do you understand?"

"Yeah, but the Sharkman--"

"Gaara I said no--"

"What Sharkman?" Kankurou interupted.

Gaara looked up at him. Maybe Kankurou would listen to him. "The Sharkman from yesterday. He came to find Sasuke's brother to go home to the water. We asked Sasuke's brother if he knew about the Sharkman and he said he didn't. So we helped him get back to the water instead."

Kankurou and Temari: "..............."

"What exactly did this guy look like?" Kankurou asked.

"Untie?" Gaara pleaded.

"Answer."

Gaara pouted slightly. "He was big, and blue. And pointy teeth and spiky hair," he told them. "Hinata said he had a spoon on his back and he looked like a shark."

"But you don't know what a shark looks like," Temari put in.

"Thats what Neji said he looked like."

"Oh. What was he wearing?"

"A big coat with clouds on it."

"!!!!" Temari and Kankurou exchanged a looked a shock/fear.

**Flashback**

"Itachi is Sasuke's older brother, who's now a missing nin. Last time he came to the village he was looking for Kyuubi in Naruto," Shikamaru told them. "With him was a missing nin from Hidden Mist Village. I didn't see him, but Naruto told me that he looked like a shark and he had a Samehade with him."

**End Flashback**

"Temari, we need to go talk to Tsunade-sama," Kankurou said turning to the door and putting his shoes on. Temari also put her shoes on and they turned to leave.

"I wanna go!" Gaara cried after them trying to move to follow them. However, Konoha jonins are very good at tying people up and he was unable to move. "Don't leave me behind!"

They stopped at the familiar phase Gaara had said to them the last time he was little. They hadn't listened, but this time they did. Temari went back to the sofa and picked the now exstatic Gaara up and carried him out with her. (SNG:...He's still tied up.... Kyuubi: That's the comedy!)

* * *

"I see," Tsunade said after she listened to the sand nins. 

"Hokage-sama, the boy is lying!" one jonin cried, receiving a glare from the two older sand nins. "I was one of the ones who caught the children at the ward, and Missing nin Kisame was not there."

Gaara (now untied finally) had been eager to tell his story to Tsuande when they had first come, but when the jonin were called in he got very quiet and stayed behind Kankurou. Now everyone turned to him at this accusation. He looked up at them and saw all their expression. He may only be three, but he knew what they meant. They thought he was lying, and it hurt. Kankurou knelt down and placed an arm on Gaara's shoulder.

"Tell her what you told us Gaara," he said. Gaara didn't say anything. He looked down at the ground and twiddled his fingers, very nervous and somewhat scared.

"See, he's lying, he knows he is too! He--"

"SHUT UP!!" Tsunade shouted making everyone jump. "Gaara," she called in a very different tone. "Come here please." she motioned for him to stand in front of her desk. He shuffled up to the place and looked up at her. "Please tell me what happened." she smiled down at him and Gaara felt less nervous.

**Scene changes back to the part where Kisame opens door**

Kisame opened the door and stepped in. "Itachi-san?" The room was very dark and Kisame couldn't see anything. He heard the sound of the trip wire that sets off explosive notes, but no explosives went off. Several kunai flew his way, but he knocked them away with his sword thing. He paused listening, but no sound was made. Feeling around he found a light switch and flicked it on. The room was white, a bed with white sheets was in one corner. There was a chair and table in another. On the wall above the door was a clock that said 2:30 (am). Other then that the room was empty of inatimate objects. In the farthest corner was a hunched figure curled up.

"Itachi!" Kisame went over to him and place a hand on his shoulder. "Itachi, it's Kisame, come on we got to go."

"Itachi! Com'mon!" Kisame grabbed the figure to lift it to its feet.

POOMF!!!

Kisame stared at the laughing Kiba that was standing in front of him. "You!" Kisame advanced on the boy, but he stepped on another trip wire, sending a large net flying over him to pin him to the floor. Now that he was on his back, Kisame was able to see the ceiling which he stupidly didn't look at when he came in. If he had he would have seen the real Itachi with the band of killer three year olds that attacked him ealier, giggling down at him (yes people Itachi is giggling. He's cracked and now is friends with his baby brother and his brother's friends SNG: I TOLD you he was good guy! Kyuubi: WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!? NO ONE CARES!). "Itachi?"

"Yea! We caught Sharkman!" the kids cheered. "Let's help him find a home!" (SNG: This is like Lilo and Stitch!)

The kids said goodbye to Itachi and dragged the sobbing Kisame out of the mental ward to a big lake where they dropped him off a cliff into the cold water (forgetting to take the net off). Pleased that they helped 'the shark' find it's 'home', they returned to the hostpital to visit more with Itachi and that's when they got caught by the jonin.

**End of Gaara's story**

Everyone in the room: "................................................"

Gaara, not liking the silence, returned to hide behind Kankurou's legs. He peeked out when Tsunade said his name quietly.

"Are you sure you're telling the truth?"

Gaara nodded vigorously.

"If I ask one of the others, like Hinata, will she say the same thing?"

Gaara nodded again.

"What if I ask Itachi?"

Gaara nodded.

"I still don't believe him!" the jonin cried. "Itachi's crazy now. And _he's_ a _sand_ nin, and a _monster _at that."

"Monster....?" Gaara mumbled quietly as Kankurou and Temari challanged the mans words. He tugged lightly on Kankurou's pants leg, but Kankurou either didn't feel it or ignored him. Everyone was yelling at each other about the matter, and Tsunade looked like she was gettin a headache.

"We shouldn't have let you sand nins live here in the first place! Especially that one!" a different jonin pointed at Gaara, who ducked farther behind Kankurou.

"None of you are trustworthy," another yelled.

"You leaf nins aren't exactly ones known for their friendliness! Between Orochimaru, Itachi, Sasuke, and the Hyuuga family, this village reaks of traitors more then Sunaga ever did!" Temari shouted.

"You betrayed us!"

"We were tricked, your men left on their own!" Kankurou glared. Gaara hugged Kankurou's legs, very upset by the yelling.

"Well, you--"

"WOULD YOU ALL SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!" Tsuande slammed her fist down on the desk harder then she intended. The desk cracked and split in two. "The sand nins are our allies. We settled that difference a long time ago. This wasn't Gaara's fault, five leaf nins were with him. You two!" she turned to the two chunins that help her out all the time. "Go down to the lake and check to see if Gaara's telling the truth. Kisame might not be there any more but look for signs of him there." They nodded and flitted away. "Kankurou and Temari, please take Gaara home, I don't need him anymore. Thank you for bringing him here."

"You're welcome, Tsunade-sama," the sand nins left and slowly walked home. Gaara followed slowly behind them, feeling more miserable then he ever felt before.

* * *

The two chunin scanned the area around the lake. They did find signs of something big getting dragged off the edge of the cliff, but found no other signs. They sat on the edge of the cliff and looked around. (name) noticed something in the water and pointed it out to (name). A head suddenly poked out of the water and began swimming around. It went under then came out somewhere else. This time the sound of singing reached the two chunin's ears. 

"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming swimming......"

* * *

H-R starts singing the Swimming song.(Shukaku: Takes a guns and tried to shoot himself. however he is a spirit and can't die again.** damnit....**) H-R is sorry she doesn't know the two chunin's names. 

SNG: Those chuunins are awesome! They get used alot....

Kyuubi: I call it lack of originality.

SNG: I call it familiarity.


	8. Neji's Akuun

**Three Again**

Chapter 8: Neji's Aku'un

* * *

Temari and Kankurou didn't notice Gaara was upset about anything until Temari asked him if he wanted ice cream and he shook his head. Kankurou stopped and whirled around, making overexagerated movements.

"What?! Gaara doesn't want ice cream?!" he felt Gaara's head. "Are you sick or something?" He meant this to make Gaara laugh but no such luck. Gaara only made a small smile before it disappeared again. "What's wrong?" Kankurou asked.

Gaara gave a tiny shrug and Temari knelt down next to Kankurou. "Yes there is," she said. "What is it?"

"....." Gaara tried to look everywhere but at them, but finally he glanced up at them. "Am I ... a monster?" he mumbled.

"Oh, Gaara of course not!" Temari hugged Gaara reasuringly. _Damn those jonin._

"Why did they call me a monster?"

"Cause they're stupid," Kankurou said as they continued to walk again.

"Someone laughed."

"What?" Temari and Kankurou looked down at him.

"When that guy said that I heard someone laugh," Gaara repeated.

"No one was laughing Gaara," Temari said.

"Yeah-huh!" Gaara insisted. "I heard it."

Temari and Kankurou didn't say anything for a while as they continued to walk. Kankurou thought of something and looked over at Temari. He mouthed 'Shukaku' and her eyes widened.

"Gaara," she said leaning down. "Next time you hear that guy...don't listen to a thing he says ok?"

"Ok!" Gaara said smiling. More walking in silence. Gaara reached up and tugged on Kankurou's pants. "Can we still get ice cream?"

They both smiled at him. "Sure."

**Three days after the Sharkman insident**

Kankurou led Neji and Gaara back to the Hyuuga house. Neji had spent the night (again) and had been called home. Gaara wouldn't go anywhere without Kankurou or Temari now after the insident at Tsunade's office. Right now Temari was on a date with Shikamaru ("She left me alone with them again!!!") so Kankurou took Gaara with him. Kankurou listened, but didn't turn around, as the kids talk grew a little louder. Actually, Neji was talking, Gaara was only listening.

".....and there's all different ways to get it," Neji was rattling. "Hiashi-sama says that fate is real, but you have to create your own destiny (good thinking Hiashi, pound that into him now before he gets older and thinks otherwise)."

"Get what?" Gaara asked.

"**_Bad luck_**," Neji said in a scary voice, shining a flashlight under his face to make him look creepy. Gaara yelped and hit him from reflex.

* * *

"Sorry," Gaara mumbled as they continued to walk.

"There are lots of ways of getting bad luck," Neji continued, the only hint that he had just been pummeled was a small bump on his face that he was rubbing. "But there are only a few ways to get rid of it."

"How do you get it?" Gaara asked.

Neji began counting on his fingers. "A black cat walks in front of you, you spill salt, you break a mirror or you walk under......**_a ladder_**." He did it again with the flashlight and so did Gaara.

* * *

"Stop doing that," Gaara said, rubbing his sore hand. "It's scary."

"Sorry." Suddenly Neji froze in terror, staring at the ground in front of him. Gaara looked down to see what he was looking at.

"meow.."

"Aw, it's cute," Gaara cooed, reaching to pet the (ahem) black cat.

"NNNOOOOOOAAAGGGHHH!!!!"

Gaara's eyes nearly fell out of his head (O.O) as Neji literally kicked the cat all the way to the sound village and back. (Kabuto: -sees cat- Orochimaru-sama! Someone kicked a cat again! Orochi: CAN I PLAY WITH IT?! SNG's Idea...) Neji huffed loudly as he clutched his heart like he was going to have a heart attack. Kankurou stopped and turned around to see what was wrong, and saw the previous sentence and Gaara looking horrified. (It must be noted that H-R HATES cats... but the even stranger thing is, she owns one. H-R: NO! I can't get rid of it! _It keeps coming back!_) (for a funny story about H-R attempts to be nice to a cat please see end of chapter)

"Neji, you kicked a kitty!" Gaara cried.

"It was black!"

"You KICK a KITTY!"

"It was BLACK!!"

"A KITTY!!!!!"

"IT WAS BLACK, GAARA!!!!!" Neji suddenly embraced Gaara and squeezed him tight. "I'M GONNA HAVE BAD LUCK!!!! I'M GONNA _DIE_ !!!!!"

'Oh, god....' Kankurou muttered to himself.

"But it was cute" Gaara said pointing where the cat disappeared in the sky. "and you _kick_ it!"

"AND YOU DON'T CARE!!" Neji pushed Gaara away and ran past Kankurou who was enjoying the whole thing (with Temari's video camera). Neji stopped to turn and say something then he realised he was standing under....**_a ladder_**. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

SHATTER!!

Neji gasped. His scream had shattered a mirror in the store across the street. Give up all hope, he ran down the street past his house and towards the training fields, screaming like a girl.

"Neji?" Gaara called after the Hyuuga, totally confused. Kankurou, dying of laughter, ushered Gaara into the Hyuuga house, before the chibi sand user decided to follow him.

**Later that afternoon**

Neji trudged into the Hyuuga house looking like something the cat dragged in. After he had bolted into the woods, he had succeeded in tripping over every tree root, and falling into every puddle. After the puddles, he got attacked by squirrels and ran into a bee hive. In his attemps to run from the bees he fell into a thorn bush and tore his clothes. And on the way home it began to rain.

He walked down the hallways hoping nothing more would happen when suddenly Kiba ran passed with Akamaru and Hinata's favorite doll.

"KIBA!!! GIVE ME BACK MY DOLL!!!!" Neji turned to look at Hinata just in time to see a spoon come hurtling at him like a kunai.

K.O!!!!!!

Hinata ran passed her unconcious cousin and continued chasing Kiba.

Hiashi stepped into the hallways leading Kankurou and Gaara (happy with a cookie) through the house. He smiled after his daughter then happened to glance down at the floor.

O.o!!! "Neji!!" Hiashi hurried over to the k.o.-ed Hyuuga.

"ACK!!" Gaara choked on his cookie. "NEJI'S DEAD!!!!"

"No he's not," Kankurou said.

"Hiashi-san? Do you have gremlins in your house too?" Gaara asked. (shifty eyes)

"What?" Hiashi looked up confused.

"Gaara think that gremlins live in our basement," Kankurou explained.

"Why do you think I have gremlins?" Hiashi asked Gaara.

Gaara pointed to Neji's 'remains'. "Thats what gremlins do to you!"

"No Gaara," Hiashi laughed. "It looks to me like he bolted into the woods, succeeded in tripping over every tree root, and falling into every puddle. After the puddles, he probably got attacked by squirrels and ran into a bee hive. In his attemps to run from the bees he probably fell into a thorn bush and tore his clothes. And it rained on his way home." (perseptive isn't he?) He examined the boy closer. "Oh dear..."

"What?" Kankurou asked.

Hiashi sighed. "Neji's got the--"

H-R loves cliff hangers.

* * *

**Side story**

H-R Meets Nikki

The first time H-R's ever went over her best friend, kenshinsgurl516's house. Kg516 went up stairs to get something cause they were going to go outside while H-R stayed in the living room. Kg516's cat, Nikki came up stairs from the basement as soon as Kg516 went up to her room.

"Aw, how cute!" H-R said kneeling down and rubbed her fingers together. "(Kg516) I didn't know you had a cat!"

"Her name's Nikki," Kg516 called down.

"Here Nikki!" H-R cooed.

Nikki: RRRRAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!! (attack)

H-R: GAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End of story, the rest is too gruesome. All you need to know is that now I now fear Nikki and she knows it.


	9. Gremlin Spots

**Three Again**

Chapter 9: Gremlin Spots

H-R stares at new stuff on the uploading thing.....(Shukaku:** I'm confused what's all this do?!**) H-R tries some for about an hour before uploading the fic.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," Temari stated when she came home and found all the kids sitting on the sofa looking miserable. 

"Nope," Kankurou said. "Tsunade-sama checked them out. Chicken Pox. Every one of them."

"How did they all get Chicken Pox at the same time?" Temari asked, taking her shoes off.

"Chicken Pox is contagious for the first few days," Kankurou said. "They've all been hanging around each other a lot lately so they caught it from each other. At least that's what Tsunade-sama said."

"What about us?" Temari asked.

"You can only get it once."

"But, hey!! Gaara's already had the chicken pox!" Temari pointed out. "When he was five."

"He's three now Temari," Kankurou informed her.

"But that doesn't make sense it's not fair!" She went into the kitchen and slumped down. "Why do we have to take care of them?"

"Because we are currently not receiving missions from anyone and the kids all like us and we have less people who could get it. Since we've both had it before," Kankurou shoved his hands in his pockets and sat down as well. They both looked up when Gaara came in, scratching himself, and laid his head down on Temari's lap. "Some of them have fevers too," Kankurou added.

"I miss Bug," Gaara mumbled.

"Why?" Temari asked, rubbing his back.

"Cause he would have stopped the gremlins," Gaara told her.

"The gremlins gave you the chicken pox?" Kankurou asked.

"No they gave us Gremlin Spots!" Gaara said. "Chickens don't have poxs." Naruto came in and laid down on the kitchen floor. Soon all the kids were on the floor in the kitchen complaining about itching, or being hungry.

"Guys! Lets play a game!" Temari said suddenly. "We'll play house. Kankurou and I are the mommy and daddy (Kankurou gives her a wierd look), and you are our kids (productive parents aren't they). And you're sick and we have to take care of you!"

"Ok!" they chorused.

"You have to get in your beds or you're not really sick," Temari told them. They all turned and scrambled up the stairs to the beds that had been made for them when they sleep over.

"I don't have a bed," Gaara said sadly. Naruto always slept in his room, but on a roll up futon. He never slept so he didn't need a bed.

"You can lay in my bed," Kankurou said reluctantly. Gaara instantly cheered up and went up stairs. "'Mommy and Daddy'?" Kankurou asked, when they were gone.

"It was the first thing that came to mind," Temari said. She went to the stove and pulled a big pot out of the cabinet. "I think I'll make them some soup."

"NO!!" Kankurou cried. "I mean, ahem, I'll do it. You go see if they want something to drink, or something like that." He smiled innocently at her as she glared at him and went upstairs. With a sigh of relief he began going through the cabinets looking for cans of soup.

"They all want soda," Temari said reentering the kitchen and opening the fridge. "They also want crackers with their soup." She looked through the fridge. "We don't have anymore soda," she stated.

"So go get some," Kankurou said pouring the cans of soup into the pot.

"Why don't you?" Temari demanded.

"I am cooking," Kankurou told her.

"I can watch the pot while you go," Temari said moving to take the spoon he was stirring with.

"And make them even more sick!? You think I'm nuts?" Kankurou said.

THWACK!!

"Fine, I'll go!" Temari said angrily stomping out of the house, leaving Kankurou on the floor with swirls in his eyes.

* * *

Kankurou carefully set the pot of soup, trays and bowls on the little table in the upstairs hallway. He dished out the soup and carried two of the trays into Temari's room. Hinata and Sakura giggled in the makeshift bed they were sharing on the floor. "Be careful," he told them as he left again. 

"Ok," they called.

Kankurou did the same for the others, but he noticed that Naruto, Kiba and Neji weren't in their rooms. He found them in his room laying on his bed with Gaara watching a movie. He gave them their plates and warned them extencively _not_ to spill in his room. He turned and saw that they were watch his copy of the japanese version of The Ring. He quickly turned it off before they saw anything that would scar their psychy anymore, despite the protests from the bed.

"Guys, this movie scared H-R spitless and she's 17. I don't think you guys can handle it ok?" Kankurou said to the four on the bed. "You can watch something else like a kids movie ok?"

"Ok..." they grumbled.

"I'm thristy!" Naruto said.

"Temari went out to get soda, she'll be back soon," Kankurou said turning to leave.

"Don't you mean mommy?" Kiba asked.

Kankurou: (twitch) "Sure...mommy..."

"Kank-whoa?"

"Yeah Gaara?"

"Can I hold Karasu?"

"Sure," Kankurou took the wrappings off the puppet and placed it in front of Gaara who wrapped his arms around it's head. It was a funny picture since Gaara was a lot smaller then Karasu and his arms didn't quite go around the puppet (H-R: koala). "Be careful with it."

"I will!"

* * *

"Itachi-san!" Nurse said stepping into the room. "It's lunch time!" She stopped short when she saw the room was empty. "Itachi-san?!" She ran out of the room and stopped the first doctor she saw. "Doctor, Itachi is gone!" 

"WHAT?!"

* * *

Kankurou trudged down the stairs. Who know kids could eat that much soup and chrackers? He set the pot on the stove again and fished in the cabinets for more soup. 

"Kankurou?"

"In here, Temari," Kankurou called opening a few more cans.

Temari stepped in and put the bags of soda down on the table. "Who's here?"

"....um...me and the kids?" Kankuruo said unsure glancing over his shoulder at her.

"That's eleven right?" she asked. "Then why is there twelve pairs of shoes by the door?"

"Cause you put your shoes there when you came in?" Kankurou ventured.

Temari held her foot up to show that she had hers on. "They're adult shoes," she stated. "Who's here?"

"No one I thought," Kankurou turned and went into the living room. Sure enough there were twelve pairs of shoes. Ten kid size ones and two adult size. Temari followed him up the stairs. He opened Temari's room and looked in. Sakura and Hinata were asleep. He shut the door and went to his room. He opened the door very fast, accidently causing it to bang into the wall. Everyone in the room jumped.

"Hi, 'daddy'!" Kiba called.

"Enough with the daddy, ok?" Kankurou said. Then he serveyed the scene in front of him. The four boys were on his bed watching some cartoon show. Sitting with them was...

"Itachi!" Temari said in surprise.

"Hi!" Itachi greeted. "I heard Sasuke-kun was sick so I came to visit."

"...........oh....." Kankurou said, not quite sure what to say. "Are you...are you allowed to be here?"

"Why shouldn't I me allowed to visit my widdle brother and his friends?" Itachi hugged Sasuke, who was sitting in his lap, and Naruto who was sitting next to him.

"E-touch-e brought us candy!" Gaara said showing them the bag he and Neji were sharing.

"How nice." Kankurou muttered looking at the wrappers thrown all over the floor.

"Can he stay? Please?" Sasuke asked.

"Um.."

All kids and Itachi: puppy eyes!!!

_Good god that looks desturbing_..."Just until Itachi has to go," Kankurou said.

"Yay!!"

* * *

"Kisame has failed." a dark figure stated. A group of five others gathered around him. "Who will go next to retreve Itachi?" 

"I will."

* * *

Temari sat in the living room talking to Shikamaru on the phone. Kankurou was playing video games. All the kids were asleep, except for Gaara who was watching tv with Itachi and Karasu in Kankurou's room. Neither noticed the back door open ever so slightly. Nor did they notice the dark shadow slip up stairs. Great babysitters aren't they?

* * *

"Itachi-san." 

Itachi and Gaara looked up when the door opened. A tall figure in a long dark cloak stood in the door way. Itachi and the man stared seriously at each other for a long time.

"Shokubutsu-kun!" Itachi squealed. "How are you?"

Shokubutsu, definately not expecting this, fell over anime style. (H-R's note: I don't know the guy's real name, but it's the Venus Fly Trap guy from one of the newest manga chapters like #236 something or other)

Gaara laughed hugging Karasu more. "He looks like a plant!" he said to Itachi pointing at the man. "You has funny friends. First you have a shark friend and now a plant friend!" Itachi laughed with Gaara as if the chibi sand nin had made the joke of the century.

"Good god, Itachi-san....what happened to you?!" Shokubutsu demanded.

"Look, Shokubutsu-kun! It's my baby brother!" Itachi told him, pointing at Sasuke asleep in his lap. "But, shh!" he made a shushing motion with his finger. "He's sick and sleeping."

"Where is Kyuubi?" Shokubutsu asked, getting up.

"Who?" Itachi asked innocently.

"The Nine-tailed fox demon. The one in the boy Naruto."

"There's a demon in Naruto?!" Gaara said, shocked, but ignored.

"Naruto-kun is sick and sleeping also," Itachi said patting Naruto. "Shh!" he motioned for the guy to be quiet again. Gaara mimicked him and made Karasu do the same.

Shokubutsu glared at the boy who smiled back. "Itachi-san, the others are waiting for your return. Please come with me."

"But it was just getting to the good part!" Itachi whined pointing at the tv. They were watching Princess Bride (H-R: I love that movie!!). "He was just about to kiss her!"

"Ew!!" Gaara said.

"It's not 'ew' if you're my age," Itachi told him, ignoring the man in the doorway.

"How old are you?" Gaara asked.

Itachi thought for a moment. "How old indeed?" he began counting on his fingers. "One...two...three..."

_Oh, my god this can't be happening...._Shokubutsu said to himself, feeling like banging his hand against the wall.

* * *

H-R: STARE!!!! pretty colors! 

Shukaku: rolls eyes

H-R: FROWN!! and they didn't stay when I saved changes!!!


	10. insert chapter name here

**Three Again**

Chapter ten: (insert chapter name here)

* * *

By this time Neji, Sasuke, and Naruto had woken up. Their reaction to Shokubutsu was the same as Gaara's ("You look like a plant!"). Then the four and Itachi huttled together while Shokubutsu stared at them. Then they smiled up at him in the sweet loving way that only kids can do and makes adults break out in sweat.

* * *

Shokubutsu stared at the four kids while Itachi sat on the bed, smiling from ear to ear at them. In a matter of....a few seconds, they had him tied and gagged on the floor. He had no idea how they did it, in fact neither does H-R which is why she skipped a bit.

"E-tough-ee?" Neji asked looking up at the oldest Uchiha. "Why do all your friends want you to take them home?"

"I think they are directionally challanged," Itachi said, nodding knowingly.

"Where does this guy live?" Naruto asked, sitting on top of Shokubutsu.

"I do not know," Itachi told him sadly.

"Hey, mister, where do you live?" Gaara asked him.

"He's a plant, stupid! Plants don't talk," Sasuke said.

"I'm not stupid! You are!" Gaara shouted back. "He talked-ed before!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Ya-huh!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Ya-huh!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Ya-huh!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Ya-huh!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Ya-huh!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Ya-huh!"

(Shukaku: **good god, she's found the copy and paste button**)

"MMMMNNNNNPPPPHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

"Mmnohumnsmendisknconsaicnonksald!"

"envndivnslivnxkdmnsohvbkjhf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"See, I told you he can't talk!" Sasuke said, ignoring the muffled screaming under Naruto.

"He talked-ed before!" Gaara insisted on the verge of tears. He glomped Itachi's leg. "He did right?!"

"Maybe he's like a parrot!" Neji offered. "He can only say a few things."

"A Parrot Plant?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah!"

Shokubutsu finally got his mouth free of the gag. "I am Shizukani Shokubutsu, missing nin of the Shinobi Village, Hidding in the Grass (guess on this one) one of the nine members of the Atasuki. I will not be put under this kind of ridicule!"

"...God bless you," Gaara said, not understanding a word the guy had said.

GLARE!!!

SMILE!!!

"Where does mister live?" Naruto asked tugging on Itachi's coat.

"He's a plant," Neji pointed out.

"Plants live in the dirt," Sasuke said suddenly.

"Temari has a garden out back!" Gaara said.

"How do you know?" Sasuke demanded.

"Cause it's my house!"

"Nu-uh! It's Kank-whoa's house!"

Gaara straighted up. "It's Kank-whoa's house, but everything from the key hole down is mine!!" he said threateningly.

"We should bury him before he dies!" Itachi said suddenly, smacking his fist in his hand like he just came up with the most brilliant plan.

* * *

KABOOOOOMM!!!!!!! 

Temari and Kankurou jumped and ran outside to see what the source of the explosion was. They threw open the door and looked out. Behind them, Itachi led Gaara, Naruto, Neji and Sasuke, who were dragging the tied up and regagged Shokubutsu down the stairs.

Step. Bump. "Ow."

Step. bump. "Ow."

Step. Bump. "Ow."

Step. Bump. "Ow."

Step. Bump. "Ow."

Step. Bump. "Ow."

Step. Bump. "Ow."

Step. Bump. "Ow."

Step. Bump. "Ow." (H-R: I think Temari and Kankurou are deaf SNG: I think they just got used to it.)

Itachi helped the kids drag their burden through the kitchen and out the back door. Finding nothing wrong with anything outside, Temari and Kankurou returned to the house just as the five snuck back up stairs.

* * *

Temari stepped outside with a watering jug thing to water her plants. She had never been able to grow plants back in Sunaga, due to the weather, but here she could and here she did. She bought bunches of books on how to take care of them and such and as it turns out she was really good at it. Her garden spit forth brilliant colors of blue, pink, white, purple, red, green, and yellow. She stepped out to water them now, and noticed, angrily, that someone had pulled some of them out. in the bare place was now a man up to his shoulders in dirt. 

..........Pause............

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Temari screamed at the top of her lungs, dropped the water jug thing and ran into the house.

"No! Wait! Come back!" Shokubutsu called after her. "Dig me out first! Please?!?!" he looked hopefully slash longingly at the house, but no one came out. He sighed and tried to shift his position. The water jug had fallen near him and the water was now seeping into the ground around him. Wiggle Wiggle. 'This feels kinda good.....'

* * *

After what felt like months and months of searching (half a day) the officials of Konoha found Itachi at the Sand house. Due to the previous unpleasent incounter, Kankurou made them wait outside, but when he went upstairs they came in anyway. And you know how people like this are. They have to go through everything around them without making it look like they ventured in to actually look at something. 

"Hey! I said to wait outside!" Kankurou said when he came back down.

"Boy, this house was lent to you by Hokage. It is still the property of Konoha and availible to anyone who wishes to venture in," said the one that had called Gaara a monster.

Kankurou glared at them as Itachi came down with the four boys hanging on his cloak begging him to stay. When he saw the officials he smiled at them and gave a cheerful "Hello!" then put his shoes on. Gaara, hanging on to him around his legs, looked up and saw the officials glaring down at him. Instantly, he let go of Itachi and backed away to Kankurou, who willingly picked him up. Itachi turned when Gaara let go.

"What's wrong, Gaara-kun?" Itachi asked, concerned.

"He's just a monster," one of the officials said. "It's no one's concern if it gets upset."

Kankurou's glare deepened and even Itachi frowned. Hey, he was crazy, not stupid.

"Gaara is not a monster," Kankurou said in a low, calm and deadly voice that he learned from Gaara (when he was older). "Any of you who says otherwise again will get a free trip to their grave."

"You aren't allowed to fight with the Konoha officials, sand," they replied, breaking in sweat anyway. "Any fighting gets you sent back to Sunaga, who I'm sure would welcome you with open arms."

The room suddenly grew cold and dark, cutting the officials off in their arguementive taunting. They saw a red sun setting before them that brought shivers to their bodies. Suddenly it felt as though a thousand firey needles were shooting through their bodies. When it was over they were back in the Sand's living room with Itachi standing before them, Sharingan activated. Itachi turned and said good bye to the boys and led the men outside.

"Bye E-touch-ee!!" the kids called after him. He turned, smiling and waved back.

Kankurou watched the three boys run back up stairs to his room, then down at Gaara. Slumping down on the sofa he gave a long sigh. Gaara snuggled up to him, but didn't say anything. Temari came in a few minutes later and found them there. She mouthed to Kankurou 'what's wrong?' and Kankurou just gave her a look like 'you don't want to know'. She sat next to him and leaned down to look at Gaara.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," he mumbled.

"What's wrong?" she asked reaching over and rubbing his back.

"I'm not a monster."

"Course you're not!" Temari said.

"Why did they call me a monster?" he asked.

"Who?"

"The Konoha officials came for Itachi," Kankurou explained.

Temari frowned. "Damnit, why can't they just leave it alone?" she demanded no one in particular.

Kankurou shrugged. "I don't know," he replied as Gaara moved to squeeze in between his siblings.

"Why do they call me a monster?" Gaara asked again.

"....." Temair and Kankurou looked across at each other. "A long time ago, before you were born, someone put a monster inside you to make you stronger," Temari told him.

"Why?"

"Cause he was a jerk," Kankurou said.

"Some people are scared of the demon cause they think that it will hurt everyone," Temari finished.

"I wont let it hurt anyone," Gaara insisted.

"We know, but some people don't understand that," Temari said. "But you know what? Who cares about those people? Kankurou and I don't care about the demon anymore, and Naruto doesn't care and neither do your other friends (actually they don't know about it but thats a mute point right now), and Tsunade-sama doesn't care either. We all love you lots!" She squeezed Gaara tight and he hugged back. Kankurou paused for a moment then hugged both of them.

"Ack!!" Gaara cried as he was crushed between them. Kankurou laughed and let them go.

"Oh, hey, uh, Kankurou?" Temari said looking up at him. "There's...there's a--a man in my garden out back," she said pointing towards the back door.

"What?"

"It's E-touch-ee's friend!" Gaara said looking up at both of them. "He's a plant so we buried him before he died!"

"...." '_Oh, god not again...._'

"I wanna go somewhere!" Gaara said suddenly.

"Oh, where you wanna go?" Temari asked.

"To see what sharks look like!" Gaara said, throwing his arms up in the air, like 'of course!'. "And I want you to go," he said to Kankurou, "and you," he said to Temari, "and 'Kamaru, and Itachi!"

"What about the other kids? Can't they come?" Temari asked.

"Duh!" Gaara and Kankurou said in uison.

'_Ok, yeah I deserved that_.' "Ok, then," Temari sat back in thought. "Where can we go to see sharks?"

"The fish store?" Kankurou suggested.

Temari covered Gaara's ears so he couldn't here. "Kankurou, he's three, seeing a dead shark would like tramatize him for life!"

"Oh, right.." Kankurou and Temari sat back and thought about it for a while.

* * *

"What has happened to our great power?" an Atatsuki member demanded pounding their fist into the wall. 

"This is unexceptable!" another shouted.

"We will all go to retreive Itachi," said the member who sat in a corner, to quiet them down. "We set off tomorrow."

* * *


	11. Finding Nemo

**Three Again**

Chapter eleven: Finding Nemo

* * *

Kankurou and Shikamaru groaned as they trudged behind Temari who was cheerfully walking with the girls in front of them. Gaara was on Kankurou's back and Chouji was on Shikamaru's. The other kids were crowded around them chattering excitedly about where they were going. _Eleven kids and threeadults. What idiot thought up this plan?_ Shikamaru asked himself (H-R: I did!). As the three adults paid their way in, all ten of the kids and Itachi (who is now catagerized as a 'kid' in Shikamaru's mind) ran to look into a pool. 

"What is that?!?!" Gaara cried staring at what looked to him like a giant moving brown rock.

"It's a lion," Naruto said.

"That's not a lion," Neji said. "I've seen lions, thats not a lion."

"It's a sea lion," said the attendant standing near by.

"Lions don't live in the sea!" Kiba said giving the man a glare that clearly read 'Are you sure you're an adult cause I thought adult knew everything'.

"It's just a name," the attendant sai, patiently. "It's not really a lion."

"Hey guys! Come on!" Kankurou called from the desk. The kids abandoned the pool and ran over to the three older ones. "You need this wrist band thing."

When they all had a wrist band on, they ran into the building and went up to where several blue tubes ran from floor to ceiling. Every once and a while bubbles would float up to the top. When they saw that Kankurou Shikamaru and Temari were walking away they ran after them, laughing. As the kids began chasing each other around people and stands, the three adults looked in some of the displays and into the main pool.

"Gaara!" Temari called to her brother who was on the floor, crawling away from Sasuke, who was it, with Akamaru (yeah they snuck Akamaru in too). "Come here!" Gaara got up and ran over to her and she lifted him up so he could see over the ledge (apparently all the ledges were higher then keyholes). "See them down there?"

"What is that?" Gaara asked looking down into the water.

"Those are fish," Temari said looking down with him. She glanced at the sign posted on the ledge. "And...Rays..and there's a turtle in there too."

"Turtles can't swim," Gaara told her, disbelieving.

"That's why this is a _Sea_ Turtle."

"Sea turtle. Sea Lions.. What's wrong with this place?" Gaara demanded.

"Gaara! Gaara!" Neji and Kiba came running up to them looking like they found burried treasure. "Come see what we found!!"

Temari set Gaara back on the ground and the three ran off together. She smiled as she watched them disappear, knowing they would be fine if they were together. She leaned up against the ledge as Shikamaru came to stand next to her, muttering about them being 'all over the place' and 'they're taking the place over'.

"Hey look mommy, there's some kids swiming in the water!" a random little boy said.

Temari and Shikamaru (and Kankurou somewhere) turned and looked down to see what idiot let their kids jump into the fish tank.

...pause....

"NARUTO!!!!!!!!"

"SHINO!!!!!!!"

Shukaku: Shino? where'd that come from?

H-R: he's expressing himself, leave him alone.

* * *

"Wow! He really did look like a shark!" Gaara exclaimed as he, Neji, Itachi and Kiba stared into the shark tank. The large creatures looked very menacing, but all they did was swim peacefully by the window, minding their own business. (H-R is using the National Aquarium of Baltimore as her mental picture because that it the only aquarium she's ever been too). Through the glass tanks the three boys could see everyone in the tank with the rays, sea turtle and fish, and Kiba notice everyone was pointing and yelling down into the tank. 

He mutely pointed this out to the other two and they stared at the people, looked at each other then jumped up and ran out to go see what had happened. An Atatsuke member stepped around the corner in a very menacing way and watched them leave.

* * *

"Go get him!!!" Temari screamed at Kankurou. 

"I'm not jumping into the fish tank!" Kankurou said looking down.

Temari whirled on Shikamaru. "I-I-I.." Shikamaru stammered. "I can't really swim."

She whirled on Kankurou. "I only dog paddle," he replied. (SNG: -makes dog-paddle motions-)

"Oh, my god!!!" Temari shoved the six kidified nins away from the ledge where they had gathered to watch their friends. "They're going to get eaten by a shark or something!!"

"What's going on?" a kunoichi asked standing next to Kankurou.

"Two kids are swimming in the fish tank," he answered and left it at that.

She glanced down into the fishtank. "Who are those kids?"

"Um...Naruto and Shino," he replied. The woman stood up straighter then turned and walked away.

"What happened?" Itachi called as he, Kiba, Neji and Gaara ran up.

"Naruto and Shino jumped in the fish tank," Kankurou replied.

"COOL!!!" the four ran over to the ledge and looked down, waving to the two swimming kids.

"I wanna swim too!" Gaara said, climbing up and jumping.

"NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Temari grabbed his ankle and caught him. "Gaara, you don't know how to swim!" she said.

"I can learn!" Gaara said, angry that she caught him.

There was another splash somewhere and four dark figures swam rapidly towards the two swimming boys. One got a hold of Naruto and they swam away. The three adults (not Itachi he's concidered a kids now remember) gasped.

"Atatsuke!" Shikamaru cried. They started going around the fish tank, pushing people aside in their haste to get over. When that wasn't working, Kankurou gave up and jumped over the fishtank, sending his chakra to his feet. Landing lightly on top of the water, he ran over to where Shino floated and grabbed him on his way across.

Gaara, Neji, Kiba and Itachi stared after them, then at each other.

* * *

"Orochimaru-sama, it's been reported that the Atatsuke members are advancing on Konoha for Naruto," Kabuto said to the former senin seated on a large chair. 

"I know," Orochimaru said, leaning back.

"Are you goin to let them take Naruto?" Kabuto asked, curiously.

"They wont get them, I'm sure of it," Orochimaru said like it was a side note. "My expirement has many set backs I see. Memory loss, ability loss..."

"We haven't been able to see if their abilities have been lost," Kabuto reminded him.

"True, but I have my doubts."

* * *

"I've got him!" the female member of the Atatsuke cried as the four caught up to the other two. She grinned and looked down at Naruto. 

SMILE!!!!!!!!

she stared at him, her female intuition rising over the kunochi. _'He's so cute!!!!!'_

"Good, give him to me," said member #2.

"No! I'll hold him!" ther kunochi said, holding him tighter. "We're all going together anyway."

"Fine. DON'T loose him!" said #3.

The six members stepped on to an escalator and began assending to the third floor.

"THUD BALL!!!!!" came a shout from the top (Hook Reference).

The members looked up in time to see a large, round ball rolling down the escalator.

(Bowling Pin sound)

(Atatsuke members flying)

Chouji landed at the bottom, very dizzy, and hungry again. Finding that he couldn't stand, he began crawling away.

* * *

Giving up on the escalator, the members began climbing the 'Emergency Only' stairs. As they reached the landing between the third and fourth floor, a bucket of fish came flying out of no where, knocking a member down the flight of stairs again. 

CRASH. BOOM. BANG. THUMP. PAIN. BLOOD. SCREAM. THUD.

The seven members stared after him, then turned to look up the stairs. No sound came. They ran up the stairs, but when they got their, no one was on the next few flights of stairs and everything was silent. Together they stepped out of the stairs and found themselves in the room where the sea lions were when they weren't outside.

All Sea Lions turn: STARE!!!

Atatsuke: turn and leave

* * *

Kankurou, Temari and Shikamaru stared down at the rest of the aquarium from the fourth floor. They had not been able to catch up with the Atasuki members, and they realised five minutes after they stared looking that they left all of the kids alone with Itachi on the first floor. They found in despare that they were no longer where they had left them (What kid stays where you leave them I mean come on...).

* * *

The Ataksuki members trudged down the walk way that connected the two different parts of the aquarium together. One member stepped on a trip wire and a thousand spoons of all shapes and sizes shot at all of them, which they gracefully dived. After receiving/ giving glares, the Atatsuki members noticed that the entire walkway was riddled with thousands of trip wires. However, using their stills, they easily slipped passed all of them with out tripping one. When they reached the end of the walk way they failed to notice the tiny one going across the exit.

* * *

"There is a creature missing from this tank," said a little boy on a field trip with his school, to the attendant. 

"Hm..." the attendant, named Joe, looked in. "Maybe they're checking up on it."

"What was it?" the boy asked.

"An Octopus, and eight legged creature that lives on the ocean bed......."

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the girl Atatsuki member dropped Naruto and screamed blody murder as an orange object fell from the ceiling and dropped onto her face. "OH MY GOD!! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!!!!!!" 

As the Atatsuki stopped to try to help her, Naruto sat where she had dropped him and laughed at them.

Akamaru trotted by, picked Naruto up and trotted off.

Givign up on the Octopus on their team mates head, they turned to get Naruto only to find an empty space and a dog walking off with a small boy in its mouth. (H-R pauses in thought and rereads sentence. Whoa...funny mental picture of Akamaru carrying a bone that looks like Naruto)

* * *

"E-Touch-ee!" Naruto greeted when Akamaru brought him to him. 

"Naruto!" Itachi picked him up and hugged him tightly. "Are you ok?"

"You gots Naruto-napped!" Gaara said, tugging on Naruto's leg.

"I did?"

"Yeah, I rescued you," Sasuke said, pointing at himself proudly. He noticed that all the kids were staring at him. "They helped....a bit..."

"HEY!!!" the kids turned and saw the remaining four Atatsuki members running up to him. "Give that boy back to--Itachi?"

"Hi!" Itachi greeted waving.

Atatsuki: STARE (girl member in background still trying to get the octopus off her head)

"Hey you!" several security officers ran up to them. "That dog isn't allowed in here. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

"But Akamaru helped us save Naruto!" Kiba protested.

"From what?"

All: point at Atatsuki members.

"Right...wait aren't you Uchiha Itachi?"

"Yep! How are you?" Itachi asked smiling.

"Er.. fine...thanks... Now, what the hell is going on here?"

"They've got weapons!" All the kids shouted at once pointing at the members again.

And so the rest of Atatsuki members were captured and brought into custady and placed in the 'most wanted' prison.

Meanwhile, Kankurou, Temari and Shikamaru still couldn't find the Atatsuki members and had completely lost Itachi and the kids.


	12. Christmas Special Part I

**Three Again**

Chapter 12: Christmas Special Part I

To the reviewer that asked to use my quotes: Sure, I don't mind, they're quote, not copyrighted or anything..

To Diver: ....O.O REALLY?!?!? You're one of the divers that go in that tank?!?! (takes deep breath)

Shukaku:** Oh God......**

THAT IS SO COOL!!!! I ALWAYS WANTED TO DIVE IN THERE!! I actually pulled the stunt Gaara did, trying to jump in, my dad caught me. Oh, and the tank of sharks that Neji, Kiba, Gaara and Itachi were looking in was the circular shark tank right aross from that shark/sting ray/ that one turtle tank.

* * *

The next few weeks came and went with out any more happenings. Well, not that many happenings. Neji and Kiba learned that you can draw on walls like you can draw on paper, and Sakura and Hinata found Temari's make-up and 'beautified' themselves and any of the boys who were willing to sit still (SNG: Me an my friend Kate used to do this all the time... I used to get really BAD rashes from it tho...). Then, one night when they all wanted to watch tv, Shikamaru turned on the Discovery Channel and let them watch. Now, the program that happened to be on was about spiders. This did not frighten them at all, but gave them an entire new fasination: Spider webs. Gaara pointed out that Kankurou could shoot 'webs' out of his fingers like the spider could shoot out of it's 'butt', and the ten of them decided that they wanted to do that too.

Unfortunately, they learned it takes years and years of practice to shoot webs out of their fingers, but what they found on further search for a substitute, was an entire closet full of yarn left over by whoever previously owned the house.

Temari and Kankurou came home from grocery shopping and found that they couldn't move further into the house save for the first few feet. Spun across the doorway to the kitchen was a blue spider web and a large clump of yarn, the size of a human, in the middle.

"....Gaara!!" Temari called, out when no pitter pattering of three year old feet came to greet them.

Up stairs they heard someone eagerly said, "Temari's home!" and then came the pitter-pattering of three year old feet. Gaara climbed through the masses of spider webs until he came to his brother and sister and hugged Temari's legs in greeting.

"Gaara, what's all this?" Temari asked looking around again.

"We're spiders!" Gaara said proudly.

"Where's Shikamaru?"

"He's a fly!"

Temari and Kankurou looked over at the 'human size ball of yarn' stuck to the web on the kitchen door. A little tuft of black hair was sticking out of the bottom.

"Help me.....!" came a tiny desperate voice.

"Oh, my god...." Temari said staring.

Kankurou clapped his hand over his mouth to hide his snickers.

Temari: ELBOW!!!!

"Gaara, you don't tie up the baby sitter ok?" Kankurou said quickly in a franticly stern voice.

"......but he said he wanted to play with us, we were the spiders and he was the fly," Gaara said in his defense.

"Did you tell him you were going to tie him up?" Temari asked.

"Nope!"

"Well, then," Temari said folding her arms, and glaring down at him. "Don't do it again!"

Gaara suddenly felt very unloved and let go of her leg and grabbed Kankurou's leg instead (shuffle shuffle) and watched Temari try to get through the webbing to Shikamaru.

**Twenty minutes later...**

"GODDAMN IT!!!" Temari said only half way through the living room, while Kankurou died laughing back at the door with Gaara.

The other kids watched Temari from the stairs, smiling in hope that their oh-so-clever web might catch another fly.

"You know what I'm tired of this," Temari said taking out a kunai.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" (gasps for breath) "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Temari cut Shikamaru down and helped him out as all ten kids burst into unstoppable tears. She turned back and looked across the room, passed the destroyed yarn spider webs at Gaara and Kankurou. The chibi sand nin pushed himself out of Kankurou's hold and ran up the stairs to Kankurou's room yelling that he hated Temari.

"Good job," Kankurou said to Temari. He'd wanted to say that to her for years.

It's not as bad as it sounds. At three years old, Gaara didn't have a very good memory and forgot he was mad at Temari a day and half later.

* * *

**ok, back to the original 'not a lot had happened in the last few weeks....'**

"KANK-WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kankurou jump and fell off the bed bringing all the covers and pillows down on top of him. Looking up he saw Gaara standing at the bottom of his bed looking terrified.

"What is it?" Kankurou asked, half asleep.

"The sky...is falling!" Gaara shrieked pointing out the window.

Kankurou stared at him, waiting for his near comotose mind to process what the little sand nin had said. Nothing happened. "What?"

"The. sky...is falling!" Gaara repeated. He pointed out the window again. "Look! Look!!"

Kankurou very slowly and purposely began untangling himself from the covers, taking as much time as he could. Gaara lost patience.

"Come on!!" he jumped off the bed, wrapped his little chubby arms around the grinning Kankurou's arm and tried to drag him over to the window. Kankurou lay limp on the floor, as Gaara pulled with all his might, but didn't get anywhere. Gaara shook Kankurou's arm. "Come on, work! Do it!"

"Do what?"

"Do it right!"

"What?"

"Walk!!" Gaara had a mini tantrum by jumping slightly with a whiny sound. He made a 'Mm!'ing noise and tried to pull him again (SNG: .....GLOMP!!). "Kank-whoa! Come on! Walk!"

Kankurou finally complied and stood up and stretched his arms to the ceiling, bringing Gaara, yelling, up with them. Kankurou walked over to the window with Gaara now riding piggy back style clinging to his head like a koala.

"Look!" Gara pointed out the window.

Kankurou opened the window and leaned both him and Gaara out. He looked around and laughed. _' "the sky is falling"...how cute,'_ Kankurou said to himself. "It's not falling Gaara," he said outloud.

"Then what's all that?!" Gaara glared at the stuff that was residing on the window syle, moving as far from it as he could.

"It's stuff you play with," Kankkurou said bringing them both back in side.

Gaara gave him a doubtful look.

"I'll show you," Kankurou carried Gaara downstairs quietly so as not to wake anyone else up, put on his shoes and opened the front door. He moved Gaara around so he had him resting on his waist and Gaara clinging to his side now koala style. He knelt down and leaned Gaara as close as he could to the snow on the ground. And Gaara did the last thing he expected.

He screamed bloody blue murder.

Kankurou quickly stood and pulled Gaara away from the source of his screaming terror. He could hear everyone upstairs starting to run down to see what the hell made that aweful noise.

"Gaara, it's just snow! It wont hurt you!" Kankurou said to the sand nin koala trembling like a leaf on the tree.

"Kankurou! What's wrong?" Temari asked.

"SNOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" all the leaf nin kids screamed, cutting Kankurou off in his explanation. Gaara stared after them as they ran out the door, pjs, barefeet and all into the alien white stuff.

"Hey!" Temari called after them. "Get dressed and put your shoes on, then you can go out!"

"OK!!!!!" they all chorused then ran back into the house.

Temari smiled after them then turned to her brothers. "Gaara was that you?" she asked. Kankurou nodded his head vigorously. "What's wrong?"

"He doesn't like the snow," Kankurou explained, demonstrating the previous happening that woke everyone up. Gaara screamed again as he was brought closer to the snow.

"....." Temari stared wide eyed in confusion, not quite sure how to cope with this.

There was a loud noise and a parade of running kids followed by a cloud of dust ran passed them, back outside. Gaara, however, refused to leave the living room and sat on the sofa watching tv, or glancing out the window all morning.

* * *

By lunch time there was at least a foot of snow on the ground and it was still coming down. Temari decided to go out to get lunch and Shikamaru. Kankurou sat in the kitchen eyeing Gaara in the living room, not liking the fact that _his_ younger brother was scared of snow. So he concluded to do a very older brother thing that he was sure would cure Gaara. He went in the living room and asked Gaara to get dressed. Then he helped him put his shoes, a coat and a hat on. Gaara looked at him curious to what he was doing. Kankurou then led him to the back door. Gaara realized what he was going to do all to late.

TOSS!!!!!!!!!!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Gaara fell into the deep snow in the middle of the backyard with a snowy thunk and disappeared.

"Be free, dear brother!" Kankurou called happily, grinnign hugely (SNG's idea)

Kankurou called to the other kids to watch Gaara and make sure he had fun then shut the door.

**A few hours later....**

Kankurou glanced out his bed room window at the front yard and saw that there was at least two and a half to three feet of snow on the ground now. There was no evidence that a riot of three year olds had played there earlier. He got up and went into the bathroom to look out the window to the back yard. He stared down at the sight below him.

The snow had gotten so deep that even Shino, the tallest of the kids, was having trouble getting around. And the snow drifts had made it so they couldn't open the door and come in. With nothing they could do and now way to get help they walked out a path way that formed three big letters:

**S O S**

Sakura, Hinata and Gaara were sitting in a hole in the middle of the 'O' waving branches they had some how broken off a tree. Actually the only reason Kankurou could see Gaara was because he had an aerial view, the snow was really over the redhead's two feet, three quarters. The others were either finishing the last 'S' or sitting in random places in the letters.

Kankurou couldn't help himself.

He burst out laughing.

He ran down the stairs to find some means of placing this event in the hall of fame funniest moments of his life, just as Temari was walking in.

"Temari!" he called. "Where. is. your. camera?!"

"Put away. Why?" she asked.

"Go get it quick!!"

The two ran up stairs. Temari got the video camera and Kankurou led her into the bathroom. She glanced out the window.

"...Oh my god...." was all she could state as she began filming the sight below.


	13. T T sob sob

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did I get ur attention?

Shukaku: **ur such a retard!**

hehe ok peoples and fans of the konoha terrors in the form of chibified shinobis!!!

I  
am  
STUCK!!!!!!!

This was suppose to be a part one and part two and I am completely stuck! ARGH!!! (goes and bangs her head on table repeatedly)

Shukaku: **....um...yeah, H-R has a very bad memory and writing two fics at once has completely maxed out her brain cells. She had an idea, but she forgot.....actually I forgot to. But that doesn't count.... On the better side, Suna's Kekkei Genkai is getting written in alot. One more chapter and we're out of the christmas special(s). Then we get into interesting stuff!**

Christmas IS interesting!

Shukaku: **I mean like blood and gore! and what the hell are these new jutsu's the red headed shrimp of a vessel has?!?!? I hear your thoughts and I've been hearing 'Ghost fist' going in and out for a few weeks now! ....Look there it goes again!!!!**

Oh can it. Gomen to Three Again readers. like I said, I'm stuck. you can send me ideas if you want. Read Suna's Kekkei Genkai while you wait . It has Sand-nin-gurl'sAND Kyuubi'sFLOWER STAMP of approval as a funny fanfic.

Kyuubi: **I did not....**

SNG's Quote from SKG: " Temari: 'but you don't like Gaara?' Neji: 'NO! (squeak) shit!' "

H-R's quote: 'Kankurou: SHUT UP! I'M JUST HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES!!!!'

I'm sorry people I am bored.


	14. The No longer xmas special: Gaara meets ...

**Three Again**

Chapter 13: The No longer Holiday special: Gaara Meets Phone

* * *

Kankurou knocked on the door to Tsunade's office. Gaara hung on his back like a baby koala, munching on the cookie Kankurou gave him to keep him from remembering why they were doing this in the first place. Shikamaru had been sent on a mission as a chuunin, leading several genins on their mission. Temari was working at a part time job and was unable to help him. Kankurou had sent all the kids home for the time being. Naruto and Sasuke were with Jiraiya, and Neji was with his uncle. That left Gaara, who had never before needed someone to watch him, and Kankurou had never thought of finding him one till now. And when he told Gaara that he would be getting one for a short afternoon....well, lets just say: issue cookies.

"Come in!" Tsunade called. Kankurou opened the door and stepped in. "Yes?"

"Um, I was wondering if you could maybe do me a favor?" Kankurou asked.

Tsunade gave him a smile and leaned on her elbows to listen. "Depends on the favor."

"Could you watch Gaara for me for an hour or two?" Kankurou asked.

"......" Tsuande stared at him. "What?"

"Temari and Shikamaru can't and none of the other parents can," Kankurou explained quickly.

"Where are you going?" Tsunade asked.

Kankurou blushed. "I–I have a date tonight..." he mumbled.

"Oh...?" Tsunade inquired.

"Yeah, and I need someone to watch Gaara while I go out," Kankurou said. "Please? Only for an hour or two!"

"Hmm..." Tsunade thought for a while._ 'He can't be that hard to watch...'_ "Only for an hour or two," she replied.

Kankurou looked exctatic. "Thank you!!!" he cried. He pried Gaara off his back and set him down. "Thank you so much!"

Gaara watched as his brother turned and ran out of the office. He suddenly knew how Sasuke felt when the sand nins left him with Kakashi. He shyly turned and glanced up at Tsunade, clasping the remains of his cookie to him. She was smiling down at him while observing him. _'God, he so little. And cute....'_ she mused to herself.

"Hi.." he said quietly.

"Hi," Tsunade replied. "Where's Kankurou going?"

Gaara got a pouty look on his face and plopped himself down, crossing his arms.

"....?..." Tsunade blinked and went over to him. She knelt as far as she could go to be at his level. "What's wrong?"

"Kank-whoa left me," Gaara pouted.

"He'll be back," Tsunade assured him.

"How do you know?"

"Because you're his brother," Tsunade said. "And if he doesn't I'll go and drag him back here, ok?" Gaara glanced up at her like he almost believed her then it dropped and he looked upset. Tsunade sighed. She pointed up at her clock on the wall. "See that clock?"

Gaara nodded.

"When that little hand is on the five, Kankurou will be back."

"Are you sure?" Gaara looked up at her hopefully. You know the look. The one he gave to Yashamaru when he asked what pain was.

Tsunade strongly resisted the urge to hug him and keep him forever and ever. "Yes I'm sure," she said. There should be a law against being this cute. How could those stupid jonins be so mean to him?

Gaara sighed and resumed eating his cookie, staring intently at the clock on the wall.

"Hokage-sama," a random ninja said opening the door to her office. "Please come with me it's urgent!"

"Alright," Tsunade said. She turned to Gaara. "I'll be back as soon as I can ok?" She gave him a little pat on the head then left.

Gaara ignored her and continued to stare at the clock.

Clock: 3:00

And stared.

Clock: sweat sweat

STARE!!!

Clock: 3:01

Gaara: "...."

Finishing his cookie, Gaara realized that the clock was going to take it's good ol' time with the remaining hundred nineteen minutes and twenty-eight seconds. He began looking around for any means of entertainment.

RING RING!!!

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Gaara jumped and glomped onto the coat rack on the other side of the room.

RING RING!!

Gaara realized it was only the phone and let go of the coat rack. He went up to the desk and climbed up on top of it and stared at the phone. It stopped ringing and the new message light went off. Looking around on her desk he saw a enormous book with writing on it. Gaara however couldn't read, so he opened it to see what it was. More writing.....and numbers. Gaara grinned. Temari had one of these! She used it and the phone to make pizza come to the house! Inside Gaara's little mind, he figured out that if he dialed the number, pizza would come. So he picked up the phone and hit the first number he looked at.

* * *

RING RING!!

"Hello?" Kakashi replied picking up the phone.

No reply.

"Hello!" Kakashi frowned into the phone. "Gai is that you? I'm sick of your prank calls!"

"This isn't Gai!" came a little voice on the other end.

"Oh, sorry, who's this?"

"Who's _this_?" was the reply. The person on the other end started talking to themself and ignored him. "Is there like some little guy inside this thing talking to me?"

BANG BANG!!!

"ARE YOU OK IN THERE?"

Kakashi held the phone away from his ear.

BANG BANG!!!!

"I want pizza please!"

"This isn't the pizza place!" Kakashi said loudly into the phone.

"It's not?!" the other end seemed like they just got the shock of their life. "Oh...(sniff sniff)...sorry.."

Click.

Kakashi stared at the phone.

"Ok....."

* * *

"Hello?" Jiraiya said into the phone.

Someone took a deep breath on the other side.

"HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO YOU HAVE PIZZA?!?!?!?!??!"

"What the hell?!?!" Jiraiya realized that his little outburst had been heard by the girls in the bath hall in the house next door and the girls all ran out of the room. "You scared them away!"

"What?"

"Who's this?"

Pause.

"Are you a pretty lady?" Jiraiya suddenly asked getting his perverse expression on.

"Shut up Ero-sennin," said the other end before they hung up.

* * *

Gaara stared at the phone book intently. Where was the pizza guy!?

* * *

RING RING!!!

Baki put down the scroll he had been reading and picked up the phone. A great tragedy that should have been avoided.

"Hello?"

"I still don't get it..." came a child's voice on the other end. "The little guy's voice changes every time I push a button. Maybe he has a whole family in there!"

"Who is this?" Baki demanded.

"No one."

"I demand that you tell me who you are! Or I will hunt you down and destroy you for bothering me!" Baki said.

"Oh, you can't do that! I have to help the guy in the phone!" the child said.

"I will sit on this line until you tell me who you are!" Baki practically screamed into the phone. He just wasn't having a good day. "Do you even know who I am?!"

"...Are you the pizza guy?"

"NO!!!"

"Then no."

There was silence on the other end for a while. Then the little voice began humming a little tune then began singing softly to himself.

" 'I know a song that gets on Baki's nerves, Baki's nerves, Baki's nerves. I know a song that gets on Baki's nerves and this is how it goes...' "

Baki nearly dropped the phone.

**Flashback**

_Baki covered his face with a pillow. Why did Yashamaru have to be sick today? He was suppose to be in charge of watching Gaara. Now the brat was sitting on his stomach while Baki was trying to sleep, trying to entertain himself._

"_I know a song that gets on Baki's nerves, Baki's nerves, Baki's nerves. I know a song that gets on Baki's nerves and this is how it goes! I know a song that gets on Baki's neves....."_

**End Flashback**

"G-Gaara?!"

"Hi!"

Baki: faint.

* * *

(This next bit was written by SNG. (SNG holds up peace-sign))

Gaara frowned, pushing another button. He was determined to save the people in the phone!

"Hello?"

"Wow, it's a girl this time!" Gaara looked at the phone, then asked it, "are you the pizza guy's wife?"

"...Who is this and why are you calling my cell phone?"

"Who's this?" Gaara asked suspiciously.

"I'm Sand-nin-gurl. I control your fate," said the girl.

"Neji likes fate!" Gaara said happily. "Neji is my friend! He is this many!" Gaara held up four fingers on his free hand.

There was a long silence. A deep voice spoke in the other phone. "Oh god, no... Plug my ears with a spoon, no..."

"Shut up, Kyuubi," the girl named sand-nin-gurl said angrily. "How many is Neji?" she asked Gaara.

"This many!" Gaara held up his fingers again. "All my fingers and not my thumb is that many!"

There was another long silence. Gaara thought he heard the girl take a deep breath.

"OH MY GOD, IS HE REALLY???" the girl cried, sounding like Christmas had come early. "OH MY GOD, TAKE A PICTURE! IS HE CUTE?? DOES HE TALK WITH A LISP?? IS HE AS ADORABLE AS HE WAS IN THAT ONE FLASHBACK DURING THE CHUUNIN EXAM?? OH MY GOD, TELL ME!"

Gaara slammed the phone down. That girl was scary.

But he had to save the guy in the phone!

* * *

Kankurou and Kyu (duh, who else would Kankurou go out with? Beside SNG would kill me if it was anyone else; SNG: I _would_ kill you) sat down in a nice restaurant.

"I'm really glad you talked to me again," Kyu said smiling. "You didn't have to apologize for your brother though; he's cute."

"Yeah, I know," Kankurou said shrugging.

"So what's Sunaga like?" Kyu asked, smiling sweetly.

"Hot..and dry," Kankurou said. "I like Konoha a lot better. What about you? Are you on a shinobi team?"

"Mm-hm! My team members are Inuzuka Chuimaru, and Aburame Yashi," she said.

"I know those names..."

"Shino-kun and Kiba-kun are their brothers," she told him.

"Oh, yeah," Kankkurou said with recognition.

RING RING!!!

Kyu blinked as her cell phone rang.

"I'm sorry," she said getting it out.

"It's ok, you can answer it," Kankurou said smiling.

"Hello?"

"Hi!"

"Hi. Who's this?"

"I'm looking for the pizza guy," Gaara said picking up a piece of paper off the desk, crumpling it up and throwing it across the room (bored much?).

"I'm sorry this is the wrong number," Kyu said. _'Wow..he sounds really young..'_ "How old are you? Why are you by yourself?"

Gaara blinked. Was he not allowed to be alone? What if he said he was little and thery came and took him and Kankurou came back and couldn't find him?!?! "I'm grown up," he said, changing his voice to sound like Kankurou. "I'm allowed to be by myself."

Kyu blinked. Whoa that was weird. "Who is this?"

"Uh....Kankurou!" Gaara said.

Kyu frowned and held her hand over the phone. "They said they're you," she told him.

"Huh?" Kankurou said frowning.

Kyu grinned and gave him a look.

"Hi, Kankurou, this is Kyu," she said into the phone.

SILENCE!

Gaara: O.o!!!_ 'It's the pretty lady!!!!'_

Afraid he'd say something wrong that would make Kankurou mad at him again he slammed the phone down and backed away from the phone.

Kyu laughed and put the phone down.

"They said it was me?" Kankurou asked.

"Mm-hm! You know I think it was your brother, it sounded like him," Kyu said.

Kankurou's eyes widened. "What?"

"He's really cute and polite," she said. "You must be a really good role model."

Kankurou sat up a little straighter. "I try.."

* * *

Gaara frowned as he crept back to the phone and book. Some of the people he was calling knew him, maybe he should be someone else so he didn't get into trouble.

* * *

RING RING!!

"Hello?" Temari said into the phone. She had just gotten off and was walking home.

"Hi is this the pizza place?" Gaara asked, different voice.

"No sorry wrong number," she said waving to Shikamaru who had been waiting for her to walk her the rest of the way.

"....Are you sure.....?"

"Yes, I am." she said, frowning. "Who is this?"

"uh.....'Kamaru!"

Temari stopped. It was Shikamaru's voice. But Shikamaru was walking right next to her. She frowned and handed her phone to Shikamaru.

"Hello?" he said into the phone. "Who's this?"

"This is 'Kamaru, I'm trying to get–"

"Gaara how did you get a hold of a phone?"

There was a crash on the other end as Gaara fell of the desk.

"How did you know it was me?!" Gaara cried, climbing back onto the desk.

"I'm psychic, Gaara. Hang up the phone and make little sand castles in the corner ok?"

"....ok..."

And that's how Tsunade found him a half hour later, surrounded by thousands of little sand castles, staring vigorously at the clock, that was freaking out because it couldn't go any faster then it was programmed.

Clock: 4:57

* * *

yeah look look look I updated!!!

CONFETTI!!!!!

Nothing happens...

SNG: you suck....

H-R: it's not like you get confetti every time you update! You get people chasing you down with pitch forks cause you take so long to update.


	15. The Spell

**Three Again**

Chapter 14: The Spell

Hey guys! First of all I would like to thank Dragon man 180 very very much for informing me about that other website. I've emailed bothwebmaster and the thief themself and ask that the fic be removed.

HUGS FOR DRAGON AM 180!

* * *

Tsunade yawned and she pushed aside giant scroll number 274. Damn, that jutsu had to be in one of these things... Orochimaru can't just pull new jutsu's out of his butt every few days. She yawned again and opened giant scroll number 275.

"Ugh..."

* * *

"..and this is my sister Temari and her boyfriend, Shikamaru," Kankurou finished, introducing everyone to Kyu.

"Hi," Kyu greeted holding her hand out so Temari could shake it. She noticed some thing little hiding behind Temari's legs. A little redheaded thing. "Hi there," she said kneeling down.

Gaara peeked out shyly. "...hi.."

Kankurou bent down and picked him up. "And this is Gaara."

"We've met," Kyu said smiling. "Haven't we?"

Gaara smiled at her and looked away.

"Knock, knock," Tsunade called stepping in. "Hello, Kyu."

"Hello, Hokage-sama," Kyu replied.

"Kankurou, can I borrow Gaara for a bit?" Tsunade asked.

"Uh...sure..why?" Kankurou said slowly.

"Cause I'm looking for the spell to reverse the kidifying jutsu and I'd like some company," Tsuande explained. "And if I find one I'd like to try it out first."

"You're going to use my brother as a lab rat?" Temari asked suspiciously.

Tsunade gave her a look. "You know I wouldn't hurt any of them," she said in a firm voice.

"You want to Gaara?" Kankurou asked the sand nin in his arms.

"Can we get pizza?" Gaara asked.

"Sure."

"Ok."

"Gaara, you're a sucker for pizza," Kankurou said putting him down.

Gaara gave him and Kyu that 'I know I am and aren't I cute?' look then waved goodbye and followed the Hokage out. They went to her office and ordered pizza and Tsunade went back to looking through the scrolls. Gaara didn't really understand why Tsunade wanted him to keep her company, but when the pizza arrived he forgot all about it.

* * *

(This next scene is written by H-R's little (genius) sister, sand-nin-gurl. She hasn't been getting credit lately so she wanted to let everyone know)

"So, Kyu," Temari said, smiling at the black-haired girl. Kankurou, seeing the look, instantly panicked, but didn't say anything, since he knew Temari would have her way whether he liked it or not. "You're a ninja?"

Kyu nodded, smiling. "Yep." The four of them (Shikamaru, Temari, Kyu and Kankurou) were sitting in the sand nin's living room eating ice cream that Shikamaru's mom had given Shikamaru, with a order to "get rid of it".

"So, you have a team?" Temari gave Kankurou look that said, quite clearly, "I'm about to torture you."

He gulped.

"Yeah, Inuzuka Chuimaru and Aburame Yashi," Kyu explained. "We've been friends since we were in the academy."

"So, they know you pretty well?"

"I guess so." Kyu shrugged.

"Do you guys talk a lot about stuff?" Temari asked.

"Yeah… We have team-talks sometimes." Kyu shrugged, totally innocent as to what Temari was getting at.

"Then I guess you guys talk about sex and stuff?"

(BARF!) Kankurou wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, glaring at Temari, who smiled sweetly.

"Yeah." Kyu smiled.

"Then I guess Kankurou doesn't really come up at all, does he?"

Kankurou's face turned beet red in a matter of seconds.

"Oh, no, no!" Kyu cried, finally noticing the look on Kankurou's face. She patted his shoulder reassuringly. "You come up plenty of times."

"Like when?" Temari asked, voicing both hers and Kankurou's questions. She looked at Kyu keenly. "You talk to your guy friend about my brother?"

Kyu smiled innocently, looking down at her ice cream for a few minutes, then up at Temari.

Insert long silence.

"…Yeah." She blushed slightly.

"You talk about your attractions to my brother?" Temari raised an eyebrow as Kankurou blushed five shades of purple in a matter of seconds.

Insert long silence.

"…Yeah." Kyu smiled shyly, looking down at her ice cream.

"What do you talk about?" Temari asked keenly. By now, even Shikamaru was paying attention, looking expectantly at Kyu for the answer. "You talk about how _hot_ you think he is?"

Insert very long silence.

"…Yeah."

"You think my brother's hot!" Temari starred at her in disbelief.

Insert _very_ long silence.

"…Yeah." (dreamily)

"You could be a little quicker with the answers," Kankurou said mumbled.

* * *

The kids crowded on top of Kankurou's bed watching Cheaper by the dozen. They were amazed and quite astonished that someone actually took the time to make a movie about themselves. Lots of kids and only very few adults. Kiba suddenly sat up and sniffed the air.

"What's wrong Kiba?" Hinata asked looking up.

"I smell…."

Sniff sniff.

"I…smell.."

Sniff.

"_Ice cream!_"

* * *

"So, what kind of missions have you been—" Kankurou started but stopped when the sound of nine pairs of little feet came storming down the stairs. "Huh..?"

Temari gasped and grabbed the ice cream cartons and holding them high over her head. The nine kids ran is crying for ice cream, jumping up trying to reach the cartons. Temari cried for help but Shikamaru wasn't stupid and had vivid memories of the last time he tried to tell the kids what to do ("he's a fly! We are spiders!"). Kyu just stared wide eyed. They were like puppies! Temari gave Kankurou a 'please help me, dear brother of mine!' look.

"Knock it off, guys," Kankurou said sternly.

The kids all stopped, but continued to point and beg for ice cream.

"You already had a treat," Temari reminded them.

"Not ice cream!" Shino pointed out.

Temari: groan!

* * *

"OH!"

"Did you find it?" Gaara asked turning from the rubix cube Tsunade had given him to play with.

"I think I did!" she cried standing up and moving over to him. She showed him the writing on the scroll. "See?"

Gaara looked at the scroll, but as you know he's three and can't read any better then Sasuke, who thinks he can read. Gaara at least knows he can't, but he didn't say anything. He just smiled and nodded.

"You wanna try it?" she asked him.

Gaara tossed the cube over his shoulder and stood up. "Yeah!" (he has no clue what's going on)

Tsunade prepared the reversal spell then stood in front of him. "You ready?"

"Yes!" he said standing straight.

"Don't move," she reminded him.

"I wont!" he assured her.

"Ok," she smiled at him then began making lots of different hand signs.

(**Spell spell**)

Tsunade covered her eyes as a huge poof of smoke and bright light surrounded her. Holding her breath she moved forward, squinting to see Gaara. Her hand touched something soft and she investigated further.

"Get your hands out of my face!"

Tsunade smiled at the twelve year old sand nin in front of her, glaring like there was no tomorrow. "Oh, Gaara! Your back!" she said, hugging him.

"What the hell! Get off me woman!"

* * *

Short chapter but I didn't want to have you guys waiting any longer 


End file.
